World Cup 2018 and 2022: Site Selection

[Lief 🗽]

After watching the 2018 bids, go Belgium/Netherlands!

I hope they win. The two million bicycles thing sounds awesome.

[afleitch]

I know who I don't want to get it

[Franzl]

Belgium/Netherlands for 2018, and USA for 2022 are my wishes.

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

Zidane's video about accepting the Muslim world must have really worked.

He has been paid 1 million euros for...'helping people to accept the Muslim World'.

Also, I hope Spain/Portugal for 2018. And Qatar would be fancy, but well, knowing how stadiums would be built... Australia then.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

2018 = Russia.

[Insula Dei]

Damn

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I called this ages ago, though not on here. Once again my dislike of gambling means that I don't profit on a good prediction. Oh well.

[Hash]

Nice to see that Russia managed to buy hosting rights again. Maybe Qatar will get 2022 since they have lots of money too.

[The Ex-Factor]

Has Qatar ever even come remotely close to qualifying for the damn World Cup

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Does anyone now doubt that Fifa is essentially a racket and a criminal conspiracy? Is there any way for football fans to rise up, lynch the lot of them and start over again? I mean Russia... yeah. Clearly won by dubious means, but a reasonable case could certainly have been made. But Qatar? Have they given up even tying to hide what they are?

_{(fwiw, I actually wanted the one to go to Netherlands/Belgium and the other to Australia).}

[Hash]

Has 2022 gone to Qatar? lol epic fail FIFA

[Rowan]

Qatar over the US? What the hell?

[Hash]

Qatar over the US? What the hell?

The FIFA is a criminal organization. All you need is loads of cash to win them over, and Russia-Qatar have a lot of that stuff.

[GMantis]

Qatar over the US? What the hell?

The FIFA is a criminal organization. All you need is loads of cash to win them over, and Russia-Qatar have a lot of that stuff.

Would be a good argument, if the other candidate countries didn't have even more cash.

[Holmes]

2022 will not be controversial at all...

[Silent Hunter]

Never play poker with Vladimir Putin...

Oh, well. Now the Russians need to get rid of the monkey chants. Hopefully, this will shine a light on a lot of things.

Apart from their old national anthem; what's the most famous thing about Qatar?

[Хahar 🤔]

I have a cousin in Qatar.

That is literally the only thing about the place that comes to mind.

[patrick1]

Hurray, let host a World Cup at one of the most unsustainable places on the planet.

[Landslide Lyndon]

Russia isn't a bad choice. At least the venues will be big and the players won't suffer from the heat.

But with Qatar FIFA reached a whole new level of fail. 

[patrick1]

You think they will unchain the Filipina maids for an hour and let them go to the game. Maybe they will let out the Indian/Bengali labor camps too.  Somehow I doubt it as Qatar is one of the most racist places on the planet.  This really is an awful choice. There are so many places in the Muslim world that would have been better.

[Keystone Phil]

Well, Hugh better be right about 2026...

[GMantis]

Clearly won by dubious means, but a reasonable case could certainly have been made.

Any evidence or its the old "Russia never wins anything fairly" routine?

[Keystone Phil]

Clearly won by dubious means, but a reasonable case could certainly have been made.

Any evidence or its the old "Russia never wins anything fairly" routine?

Putin already has the puppets out defending the victory...

[patrick1]

Qatar over the US? What the hell?

The FIFA is a criminal organization. All you need is loads of cash to win them over, and Russia-Qatar have a lot of that stuff.

Would be a good argument, if the other candidate countries didn't have even more cash.

Yeah, in aggregate terms.  However, both bid winners have a select few people with large concentrations of cash and the willingness to spend it on prestige items. Russia and Qatar also have a well established  culture of corruption and kickbacks to get deals done.

Of course, the US is not immune to corruption- see 2002 Olympics but this one smells.

Russia is due a world cup and I don't really have too much of a problem with it.  That doesnt mean I would want to go there...  

Giving it to Qatar is just a joke.  

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Clearly won by dubious means, but a reasonable case could certainly have been made.

Any evidence or its the old "Russia never wins anything fairly" routine?

Why would I go down that road when I'm not a Russophobe? Fifa is institutionally corrupt, as is the Russian government. Two plus two usually equals four, though I'll admit that I'm no good at maths. I'm not even especially annoyed at Russia getting it, tbh.

Qatar though...