Russia, Qatar Win World Cup Bids
The New York Times reports:
FIFA, the world governing body of soccer, broke new ground on Thursday by awarding Russia and Qatar the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, choosing first-time hosts over the more conventional choices of England and the United States. After the voting by FIFA’s executive committee concluded in Zurich, its president Sepp Blatter said, “We go to new lands.”
While Russia had long been considered a favorite for the 2018 bid because of its size and economic might — and because England had to overcome backlash from recent British news media reports of corruption in the bidding process that resulted in two voting members of FIFA’s 24-member executive committee being suspended — the choice of tiny Qatar over the United States was considered a long shot.
Qatar’s bid relied on the promise of technology to cool the stadiums in the country’s often brutal summer heat and a plan to dismantle its stadiums and move them to countries that need them after the World Cup is over. The country’s bid also promoted the idea of sending a major sporting event to the Middle East for the first time.
“Thank you for believing in change, thank you for believing in expanding the game, thank you for giving Qatar a chance,” said Sheikh Mohammad bin Hamad Al-Thani, Qatar’s bid chairman. “We will not let you down. You will be proud of us, you will be proud of the Middle East and I promise you this.”
Qatar, with a population of 1.6 million and little in the way of soccer tradition, dealt the United States another disappointing defeat after Chicago lost its bid to host the 2016 Olympics last year. Chicago had been ousted in the first round of a competition won by Rio de Janeiro. The United States had the successful hosting of the 1994 World Cup as one of its selling points with FIFA, which set a record with 3.58 million tickets sold.
Russia’s bid succeeded despite the late jolt of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s announcing at the last minute that he would not be on hand for the Russian bid presentation. England’s prime minister, David Cameron, along with Prince William, supported their country’s bid in person.
“You will never regret,” Russia’s deputy prime minister, Igor Shuvalov, said to the auditorium after the decision. “Let us make history together.”
In Moscow, Putin told The Associated Press, “FIFA’s decision means that they trust us.”
Also in the running for 2018 were joint bids by Spain and Portugal and the Netherlands and Belgium. Also losing out on 2022 were Australia, Japan and South Korea.
For the first time in 44 years, FIFA created the bonanza of awarding two World Cups to eager countries in one day, with Thursday’s announcement of the 2018 and 2022 hosts, which only further complicated a process snarled by tales of corruption.
The competing countries made their final presentations to FIFA on Wednesday and Thursday morning. Former President Bill Clinton and the actor Morgan Freeman joined the star soccer player Landon Donovan to make the case for the United States on Wednesday.
President Obama made a video appearance at the American bid presentation, which was broadcast live from Zurich before Thursday’s vote.
The presentation focused on the diversity of the United States, its passion for soccer, preparedness for the World Cup and the country’s ability to assist FIFA in its social mission to use soccer as a unifying global force.
This process was extraordinary for several reasons, not the least of which was the two-for-one announcement. FIFA had done it only twice previously, in 1946 and 1966, but both times only a single country was bidding for each tournament.
This bidding process was marred by charges of corruption against 6 of the 24 members of FIFA’s executive committee. Two members were barred from voting, and some called for the vote to be postponed, saying it lacked credibility.
The scandal took off in mid-October when reporters for The Sunday Times of London, posing as lobbyists for American companies, reported that two FIFA executive committee members had offered to sell their votes. As a result, Amos Adamu of Nigeria and Reynald Temarii of Tahiti were barred from the sport and fined by FIFA.
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