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A look at the World Cup bid races

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They may be almost a decade or more away, but the 2018 and 2022 World Cups have become the most important topics in the world of soccer this week.

More specifically, the subject of which nations will get to host those tournaments.

FIFA is set to vote on both tournaments, and which nations will get to host them, and while accusations of corruption and bribes is casting a shadow on the process, the fact remains we will find out in less than two days just who the lucky countries are.

For a primer on the World Cup bids, here are some stories to read:

Fox Soccer's rundown of all the bids for both 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

My Fox Soccer column on why the USA bid is the best for 2022.

A strong case for England's 2018 World Cup bid.

A FIFA-commissioned report on the World Cup bids called USA and England bids the strongest.

USA bid chief David Downs discusses the bid.

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While most SBI readers are obviously in favor of USA winning the 2022 bid, my question for SBI readers is this. Which country would you like to see host the 2018 World Cup?

Cast your vote after the jump:

 

Where would I like to see the 2018 World Cup? I'd probably have to say England, though a Spain/Portugal World Cup could be memorable.

Which 2018 candidate did you choose? Do you think the USA bid will win the right to host the 2022 World Cup? Will you go to Australia or Qatar if one of them wins it?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. I don’t get the Olbermann comparison – his job is to be political. And maybe FIFA expressed concern about gov’t support before the election because it was clear for some time what was going to transpire.

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  2. Jamie Trekker is the Kieth Olbermann of US Soccer Pundits. He can’t put two paragraphs together without getting political…

    “The latest elections probably didn’t help this bid as they fuel concerns about possible economic cuts”

    Oh yeah Jamie, then why is that FIFA expressed concerns about government support BEFORE the election? Maybe it’s because when the President was asked about MLS and Promotion/Relegation he started talking about advertising the league.

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  3. I am hoping for Russia in 2018 and USA in 2022. I would not be extremely upset if England got it in 2018, either (I am sure they would put on a fine World Cup).

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  4. That last comment was in reference to KenC saying that FIFA downgraded our bid because of the advertised prices of our 5-star hotels.
    So in response to that I was asking if these guys have ever heard of Priceline??

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  5. I misunderstood you. I see that he admitted that collusion took place because of the dual-cup bidding.

    That’s game theory, boys. I’m shocked-shocked!-to find gambling going on in this establishment!

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  6. Exactly. It’s not in doubt anymore that FIFA is corrupt to its core. Switzerland doesn’t even have laws against corruption in nonprofit organizations… so this “corruption” isn’t even illegal. It’s a complete sham.

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  7. The only way to WIN, is to lose the World Cup bid race.

    Read this at the NYTs:
    http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/01/sports/soccer/01iht-SOCCER.html?ref=sports

    Essentially, the winning country has to give up their sovereignty to FIFA to host the games. You have to suspend laws that apply to you or me, but not to FIFA. You have to suspend taxation on their billions in profits.

    I’d rather the US not host the World Cup if it means giving away billions to FIFA’s thugs. They downgraded the US because our 5-star hotels were too expensive, not that they were going to pay anyway. And, did you see those special seats that were allocated to FIFA officials and their girlfriends, at the SA World Cup?

    Can’t someone organize a real World Cup without FIFA? Who put those idiots in charge? Is there some playbook somewhere on how to start a corrupt organization where participants play for free and get paid by someone else? Did the IOC publish it?

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  8. I would love to attend a cup in either England or Spain/Portugal, however it wouldn’t be the worst experience over in Russia. Clearly wouldn’t be as good as the other two options, but summer in Russia is actually very pleasant, and the buzz around their first cup would be absolutely astounding. If Qatar gets the 2022 cup then I am going to be pretty much flat out furious. Qatar simply is not a pleasant place to be in summer, and i don’t care about their awesome cooling systems on the field, are they going to be personally fanning me as I struggle to walk around the cities in 100+ degree heat ery day? Hell no they aren’t. Please let it be in the good ole’ USA, where at least I know i’m free of heat stroke. And where I don’t have to wake up at 3 am to see my yanks play.

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  9. Spain/Portugal basically wrapped up WC 2018, because they have atleast 7 of the 22 votes already(supposedly). 2022 will be the real battle, USA vs Qatar 🙁

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  10. I’d like to see a total study of what travel costs would look like for each 2022 bid (to/from the site on avg, travel w/in the country to three or four sites, etc.). I imagine the US (and Australia) would be much higher for travel costs once in the country.

    Sure hope we get it though…

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  11. I have no doubt we can fill the stadium and have passionate supporters, we already have a nice following right now! My fear is the majority of our citizens do not care much about the sport, maybe they will catch a game on tv when they are free but it doesn’t generate the same buzz in the city. Once you are away from the stadium it may be kinda like in MLS games, where once you are 3-4 stops away the crowd has filtered and you are one of the few with your jersey on. But like you said the coverage is changing and altering so it could change a lot in 12 years, winning the bid will likely create a new wave of enthusiasm.

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  12. I think countries with a serious chance of economic default should not be considered for their own good. Yes, I know we’re talking 2018, but a country could take a decade to recover. After Greece and Ireland, Portugal is on the precipice and Spain is right behind them. How they could conceivably spend public money on a World Cup bid is ludicrous. 50% of the under-30 year olds in Spain are currently unemployed. It’s bad enough that public monies in South Africa were spent on white elephant stadiums while vast numbers of the public are living in poverty, but past is past, I hope FIFA has learned something. Actually I doubt it.

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  13. I agree that I would rather spend my time in a European stadium built for soccer than in Fed Ex field (ant farm or professional athletes?). But, if we hosted the World Cup, America would embrace it more than you think. Look at how much coverage our largest sports network provided on South Africa 2010. Imagine if it was in our own country. We might actually achieve “home field advantage” for once in an international match on our home turf.

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  14. Hope it comes back to the US but part of me is cringing at the $350 nosebleed seats and watching games in an NFL stadium. Also I just dont see the American public caring about hosting the WC, at least not the same type of buzz citizens of Berlin or Frankfurt or Cape Town have generated.

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  15. Trekker’s article — Portugal doesn’t have excellent facilities (Euro 2004?). They don’t play top-flight soccer? And Spain’s ETA is a problem?

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  16. I feel like that if Qatar gets it, there’s the chance that they blow it, don’t make the cut (pun intended), and two years out, FIFA goes to Plan B, USA.

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  17. Russia is my bet for 2018, too, based on the “emerging market”-factor + “opportunities for personal corruption by the ExCom”-factor. That last factor is HUGE for Qatar, too. OTOH, they don’t have enough cities, airports, or beer, let alone enough stadia, to pull off a good WCF.

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  18. I would fall off my chair if Qatar were to get the 2022 WC. If this were to happen, I think it would be the end of FIFA as we know it. There is just no way you could put an event like the WC in a country the size of Rhode Island, with a population around 2 million, in a region that is rife with extremism and terrorism. Let’s not forget that Qatar is a Muslim country and the biggest sponsors of the WC are beer companies! And we haven’t gotten to the weather in the summer. Temps well in excess of 100 degrees. I just don’t see this happening…but this is FIFA we’re talking about…

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  19. Spain/Portuagal and Qatar will host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. Blatter has admitted that the collusion has happened and is unpreventable. I think it’s hilarious that people are still debating this. FIFA is corrupt and has been exposed, and people keep pretending they didn’t notice, disappointingly including Ives. What gets me is how world leaders have bought into the show and have become lackeys to these 24 criminals that run FIFA. Unbelieveable.

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  20. I’d love to travel to Belgium/Netherlands for the World Cup, but they stand no chance. Spain would be great as well, but I’ve all ready been there. I can imagine England being very crowded and expensive, but who cares! Russia will win the 2018 bid. Regardless, I’ll be at the World Cup no matter where it ends up in 2018.

    I think Qatar will win the 2022 bid. I just see FIFA’s corruption coming to a climax, then the USA filing an investigation and FINALLY shedding light on the old greedy men in Zurich. I will not go to Qatar or Australia.

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  21. if it goes to the Aussies…. it will be tough getting a lot of tv ratings due to the timezone.

    Hopefully by then DVR will be free for everyone!

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  22. I have a hard time supporting making the choice so early, when you know it is just so that Sepp can line his pockets more before he retires/dies.

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  23. Some nice links, thanks. I especially liked reading the interview with David Downs — very interesting. The more you read the more you realize there are almost zero “good” reasons why the US shouldn’t get it, so it will be most disappointing if it pans out that way.

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  24. England deserves to host in 2018, but the odds-makers have Russia as the favorite.

    If Qatar is awarded the World Cup in 2022, then there will be no question that FIFA is corrupt to it’s core.

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