FIFA World Cup 2018/2022 Hosts Chosen

[Heald]

Russia & Qatar picked as hosts for 2018/2022 World Cups (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/9250585.stm)

In what has been a very bitterly disappointing day for England football, they only garnered 2 out of 22 votes to be picked as the Host nation of the World Cup.

Despite being the clear favourite to win the right to host 2018, England were trounched by Russia's bid.

Of course, there has been a lot of controversy regarding this bid, and Russia and England in particular. Russia's bidding team publicly insulted England as a nation, whereas England accused Russia's team, with strong evidence to back it up, that they were buying votes.

The BBC (the UK's taxpayer-funded public service broadcaster), just days before the vote, decided to air a documentary exposing the sheer corruption within FIFA, despite objections by the England 2018 team and others who felt the documentary would harm England's chances. It would seem that both sides were right; FIFA is a horribly, horribly corrupt organisation, but the BBC documentary all but sealed defeat for the England 2018 team.

Still, Russia and Qatar should be interesting venues. A first for each region (Eastern Europe & The Middle-East). I'm glad Qatar won their bid, although shame it had to be at the expense of the USA.

Anyway, thoughts on the bidding process, or the two host nations?

[firepokemon]

The English are complete whining tossers.

[Blademaster]

Not Mt. Moon...

[Heald]

The English are complete whining tossers.
True, they are (thankfully, I'm not English, just live in England).

And typically, for all the whining and bitching that will happen over this, nothing will be done. At all. There will be much pissing and moaning, but English people will just bite their lip and take it.

[Telume]

Everyone on the US Soccer FB group is in an uproar about it.

Qatar has never even qualified for a World Cup... they got the right to host but if they failed to qualify for either of the 2 world cups they'll be the first host that never qualified once before by normal means.

[Bear]

I think Antarctica should host it. You ever played soccer on ice? Most. Fun. Evar.

[firepokemon]

Americans are even bigger wankers.

[shazza]

So are Australians, with the Australian World Cup dudes suggesting that FIFA misled them. (http://www.news.com.au/world/questions-need-to-be-answered/story-e6frfkyi-1225964948190)

Although, with a video like this I'm surprised Australia even garnered one vote:

ogzjfJtg3TA

[Heald]

^ That is possibly the worst thing I have ever seen. Not a single thing about that made me even want to consider Australia as a serious candidate.

[Telume]

Could be worse.

[shazza]

^ That is possibly the worst thing I have ever seen. Not a single thing about that made me even want to consider Australia as a serious candidate.

While I do agree with you, you replied two minutes after my original post; the video goes for 6 minutes. Either you have seen it previously, or you only observed the start and didn't experience the full impact of its crapness.

[firepokemon]

Australians seriously think they're the fucking greatest at every thing. Yeah great for being a bunch of fat wankers.

[shazza]

Australians seriously think they're the fucking greatest at every thing. Yeah great for being a bunch of fat wankers.

http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/8066/1252372131983.gif

[Mikachu Yukitatsu]

Hm, what's Russia's best result? Have they even been to the top 16? Correct me if I'm wrong, but there are now two countries with very little experience in a row. Japan and South Korea, of course, did it well comparing to their earlier results, but eight years later, South Africa didn't.

And by the way, the USA hosted the World Cup in 1994.

[Heald]

While I do agree with you, you replied two minutes after my original post; the video goes for 6 minutes. Either you have seen it previously, or you only observed the start and didn't experience the full impact of its crapness.
To be honest, I turned it off once I saw your ugly ass Prime Minister. I hate her. I hate her so much.

Once I posted, I did skip ahead a bit and watch the rest though. I felt my original post still very much stood.

[Austrian ViceMaster Alex]

I have no problem with Russia, they are quite good at football, a worthy competitor.

But Qatar? They have no idea about football, it's hot as hell there, no alcohol allowed, the state itself is tiny with not much population, their head of state is a dictator and as far as I know women aren't even allowed to vote there. That's one country that really is in need for eight huge stadiums that no one will use afterwards - and I don't want to know how much energy it will take to keep those stadiums properly air conditioned. The Qatar vote was solely based on money I'm sure.

[Heald]

Football is hugely popular in Qatar.

Qatar also said they will create special fan-zones for alcohol consumption.

They also said that they plan to make the stadiums modular so those that are unnecessary after the cup (i.e. all of them, except maybe the 'grand' one) will be donated to developing countries.

Qatar hardly needs any more money, and neither does FIFA, but I'm sure Qatar is using this as an opportunity to advertise itself to rich developers and businesses.

[kurai]

Qatar is just a terrible, terrible choice - the fan zones have to be there because there is no other tourist outlet in the country. Doha is really tiny, there are no other cities. I'm not sure that anyone will want to go anywhere else given that the average high July temperature in Qatar is 46 degrees, and this is without the next decade of climate change.

RT fivethirtyeight Three times more people attended the World Cup in the USA in 1994 than currently live in Qatar. http://bit.ly/frjhp2

"their head of state is a dictator and as far as I know women aren't even allowed to vote there"? No one is allowed to vote there on a national level. "Forced labour" is also commonly used, and will undoubtedly be a part of the construction of the modular stadiums. 538 (http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/02/qatar-a-questionable-world-cup-host/) sums up most of the practical problems of Qatar hosting, and also makes the contention that something untoward had to occur for them to be dismissed.

I also don't like the choice because of its more eastern time zone. Some of the Russian venues are even farther east, so that sucks as well. But this is a selfish complaint.

[Telume]

Hm, what's Russia's best result? Have they even been to the top 16? Correct me if I'm wrong, but there are now two countries with very little experience in a row. Japan and South Korea, of course, did it well comparing to their earlier results, but eight years later, South Africa didn't.

And by the way, the USA hosted the World Cup in 1994.


True but Mexico hosted 2 World Cups in a 16 year span, 1970 and 1986.

It's about time we got another one too, don't you think? They don't often come to this region and no CONMEBOL countries DO NOT COUNT in my book. CONCACAF and CONMEBOL are 2 SEPERATE ZONES with COMPLETELY different styles of football.

[Mikachu Yukitatsu]

This reminds me of a classmate from High School. She criticized the Japan/South Korea Cup and sarcastically refered to matches held there.

"Really interesting games. Japan VS Indo China!"

[woz]

True but Mexico hosted 2 World Cups in a 16 year span, 1970 and 1986.

mexico only hosted 86 because colombia couldn't host it.

russia is a decent footballing choice, but qatar is terrible.

nine stadiums within 40 miles of each other built by slave labour then dismantled after the world cup. their team has south americans paid to take qatari citizenship then play for them and they've never done anything of note in footballing terms. coming from FIFA though it shouldnt really be a surprise. sepp blatter wants a nobel peace prize.

[Blademaster]

While I don't quite agree with woz's exact vernacular, I myself did NOT know Qatar had a football stadium... or 8 others...

...I didn't know they had ANYTHING, really...