The World is on its Way!

So the whole world is talking about it, so I thought I would do the same.

Russia and Qatar have just been named as the hosts of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, after voting early this morning (NZ time) at FIFA headquarters in Zurich. Both England and Australia were knocked out of voting in the first round.

I know that bopman will probably think differently about this than I, and his views will be interesting. However, I actually think, that amongst the allegations of corruption and what not, the right nations have probably been found.

Not necessarily because of the bids themselves. England, Australia and the United States would all do an incredible job, as would the other bids. I'm personally of the opinion that whoever won the bids would take on the responsibility of putting on a brilliant event. South Africa with the World Cup, and Beijing with the Olympics, proved it doesn't have to be a wealthy, western nation that hosts a modern sporting event.

So instead it was probably more strategic thinking that got the two winning bids over the line. I don't think there is nothing wrong with this - FIFA has to spread the game to the far reaches of the world, not just developed nations. Russia 2018 will be different from England, Spain/Portugal or Netherlands/Belgium - not better or worse, but different. For mine, Eastern Europe deserves a crack. Russia is the world's largest nation, a place where football matches can be staged half a world away, yet in the same tournament. Sure, the stadia and (most importantly given the size) general infrastructure in the former Soviet Union will have to upgraded for this not to be a problem. With the leadership structure they've got in Russia, and the egos of guys like Putin and Medvedev, this will be accomplished, no question. I highly doubt there will be no sweating over it like 2010 South Africa, or the 2004 Athens Olympics (where they didn't have time to build a roof over the swimming pool!). Russia will do a top job.

In some respects, Qatar is identical yet the total opposite. The Middle East, like Eastern Europe, deserves a crack. Far more important things than sport could be shaped by this announcement. The stadiums and infrastructure will be built from scratch. The experiences will be new, and something to behold. In these ways, by breaking new ground, Qatar and Russia are the same. On the other hand, Qatar will be the smallest nation to ever host such an event. It's population is just 1.6 million. The thing that everyone is concerned about is the heat, which could be upwards of 40 degrees. Over the next 12 years, we will see remarkable stadia pop up over there, with incredible technologies. They are talking about bringing down the average temperature inside stadiums some 20 degrees lower. This will be done by solar power. Incredible stuff. The heat didn't become an issue for Qatar's bid team - it became an opportunity to do something amazing.


So I feel for Australia, especially as the A-League would've been massively boosted by the news of a World Cup on the way. But these two announcements offer something else: Hope, that a nation any size, any weather, any history, and any neighbours, can have a chance at hosting something big - really big. The world is on its way!