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2018 and 2022 WC hosts announced; US loses

After a more than thirty minute delay, a delay that felt like hours, FIFA announced today the host nations for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

2018: Russia.

2022: Qatar.

For supporters of the US bid, a tweet from Sports Illustrated’s Grant Wahl describing the scene before the announcement said it all: “Qatari delegation members getting handshakes & some hugs from FIFA voters. Hmmmmm….”

Hmmmmm, indeed.

Here’s how the voting went for 2022:

First round: Australia 1, Japan 3, USA 3, Korea Republic 4, Qatar 11
Second round: Japan 2, Korea 5, USA 5, Qatar 10 votes
Third round: Korea 5, USA 6, Qatar 11
Fourth round: USA 8, Qatar 14
Qatar win.

Here’s how the voting went for 2018:

First round: England 2, Holland/Belgium 4, Spain/Portugal 7, Russia 9
Second round: Holland/Belgium 2, Spain/Portugal 7, Russia 13
Russia win.

Here are some fun facts about Qatar from the State Department website:

Qatar does not allow individuals with HIV/AIDS to enter the country. Medical exams are required for all long-term visitors and residents. Individuals who have HIV/AIDS may be subject to deportation.”

Incidents involving insults or obscene language/gestures often result in arrest, overnight imprisonment, and/or fines whether the incident occurs between private parties or involves officers of the law.

Insulting someone in public is considered a punishable offense.

Drunk driving, public intoxication, and other alcohol-related offenses are treated with severity and will result in arrest, heavy fines, imprisonment, or expulsion from the country.

Homosexual activity is considered to be a criminal offense, and those convicted may be sentenced to lashings, a prison sentence, and/or deportation.

Local and third-country-national young men have been known to verbally and physically harass unaccompanied, expatriate women.

Criminal offenses are punished according to Qatari laws, which in some cases are based on Islamic law and sometimes more severe than in the United States for similar offenses. Persons violating Qatari laws, even unknowingly, may be arrested, imprisoned, deported, or subject to a ban from departing Qatar.

U.S.citizens in Qatar are strongly encouraged to maintain a high level of vigilance, be aware of local events, and take appropriate steps to bolster their personal security at all times.

7 Comments

  1. $h!*
    This is really too bad. I was thinking how I would be a ripe age to afford some world cup games if they came here in 2022.

  2. To quote my latest tweet … the 2018 and 2022 World Cups are brought to you by Lukoil and Qatar Petroleum, respectively.

  3. The money I was saving to go to a US-hosted 2022 World Cup can now go to filling my gas tank for another year. Thanks, Russia and Qatar!

  4. Adam Cann, “It’s quite an accomplishment for corruption, really.”

  5. Wow, Qatar sounds like a fun place to visit, can’t wait for 2022!

  6. What a shame !

    On political note:
    This sound reasonable for me.
    “Drunk driving, public intoxication, and other alcohol-related offenses are treated with severity and will result in arrest, heavy fines, imprisonment, or expulsion from the country”.
    We should have similar laws for drunk driving.

    • Ed Farnsworth says:

      “Drunk driving” included in the quote in the interest of completeness. More to the point is “public intoxication” which, along with “insults or obscene language/gestures” and “Insulting someone in public” are the sorts of things that supporters of national teams around the world never do.

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