World Cup: 2018-Russia/2022-Qatar

[Soontir948]

A disappointing result. I was really hoping the World Cup would come to the US in 2022 but never had a chance against Qatar. With Asia and Europe out of the bidding, I hope we'll take it in 2026.

The United States finished second to Qatar in the race to host of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, but the voting was never that close. The tiny Persian Gulf state routed its much larger rival, according to the totals released by soccer's governing body following Thursday's announcement.

The U.S. and Qatar were competing for the 2022 tournament along with Japan, South Korea and Australia.

The 22 members of FIFA's all-powerful executive committee cast their votes via secret ballot, and if no country won an absolute majority, the bidder with the lowest vote total was eliminated. A new vote would then be conducted for the survivors.

All the Americans' lobbying, including the speeches by former President Bill Clinton and Oscar-winning Nelson Mandela lookalike Morgan Freeman, had next to no impact. The U.S. received only three votes in the first round -- likely from the three members of the committee representing CONCACAF.

Qatar almost won it in the first round, receiving 11 votes -- one fewer than the magic number. Australia, with 1, was eliminated.

The U.S. rose to five in the next round, meaning it likely received the Australia vote and then one from an committee member who suddenly changed his mind. The American bid beat out Korea by just one in round three, then was pounded, 14-8, in the fourth and final round by Qatar.

The distance between the Qatari and U.S. bids was never less than five votes. It was never close.

Here's how the voting went:

Round 1: Australia 1, Japan 3, South Korea 4, Qatar 11, USA 3 (Australia eliminated).

Round 2: Japan 2, South Korea 5, Qatar 10, USA 5 (Japan eliminated).

Round 3: South Korea 5, Qatar 11, USA 6 (South Korea eliminated).

Round 4: Qatar 14, USA 8 (Qatar wins).

The vote for the 2018 tournament wasn't that close, either. Russia won relatively easy. England, whose bid was torpedoed by reports from The Times and BBC's Panorama that exposed corruption within the executive committee, was the first to be eliminated.

The results:

Round 1: England 2, Netherlands/Belgium 4, Spain/Portugal 7, Russia 9 (England eliminated).

Round 2: Netherlands/Belgium 2, Spain/Portugal 7, Russia 13 (Russia wins).

[frigidmagi]

I'm told the unofficial policy is to keep us from hosting a World Cup as much as possible. After all, we might start winning and then what?