Had the bidding process been transparent and merit-based, there's a strong chance that we'd be looking forward to a World Cup kicking off in England today. I remember my sequence of thoughts after hearing about the Russia/Qatar award eight years ago:
1) There's bound to be dark money behind this.
2) I wouldn't mind it going to Russia if the criteria were explicitly about bringing it to countries that haven't hosted the competition before.
3) It's a shame because 2018 would have been the last chance for my dad to experience a second World Cup in England. (This prediction has regrettably been borne out - Dad's in his 80s now, has dementia and is going downhill rapidly.)
Anyway, for those minded not just to sit back and enjoy the football, here's a very good, and rather long, write-up of the dodgy as phook backdrop to the 2018/22 awards:
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/jun/14/how-russia-won-the-world-cup
FIFA and England
posted on 14/6/18
Kolbasi wtf?
posted on 14/6/18
Не говорите muppett
posted on 14/6/18
Fifa are like they say in Russia....KOURVA!
posted on 14/6/18
comment by morespurs (U15748)
posted 3 hours, 29 minutes ago
Fifa are like they say in Russia....KOURVA!
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Fifa are prostitutes? OK....
posted on 15/6/18
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posted on 15/6/18
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posted on 15/6/18
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posted on 15/6/18
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posted on 15/6/18
Covfefe
posted on 15/6/18
The thing with England not getting it is that it essentially goes, UEFA get it one year then another confederation gets it the next time This is how it has worked (so every other WC Europeans will have a relatively short distance to travel for the world cup, hardly unfair to England or any other European nation that isn't hosting it). Despite all of those confederations competing there are relatively fewer non-UEFA nations with the stadia, money and infrastructure to host the WC, this is why Mexico and USA have a seemly dis proportionate numbers of world cups.
Lastly FIFA was/is one of the most corrupt organisations on the planet. It has been known for a very long time. I have no sympathy for anyone who takes part in a process widely known for being corrupt to the core and then feeling hard done by when their bid does not win.