Just read here that Greg Dyke is considering a bid from the FA for the World Cup in 2026. Pretty damming comments about Sepp Blatter and his bias against England. Could be exciting though. http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/32040304
Would like to see that World Cup in either England or Australia. The two countries that should have been awarded the 2018 and 2022 tournaments ahead of Russia and Qatar respectively. Hopefully one will get 2026 and the other will get 2030.
I would love us to get the World Cup. Football is one of the few things we do really well in this country; we have great stadiums and pitches, brilliant football weather , passionate fans etc etc. It is wrong that we have not had the tournament for so long. That would be 60 years if we get it in 2026. 60 years ! God I might even be dead by then.
Sorry to deflate everyone but it is odds-on that USA will get 2026. It's widely rumoured that a deal has already been agreed and, in addition, Fox Sports have already been given the exclusive TV rights basically to avert a multi-billion dollar law suit over the change to winter in Qatar. Nothing changes at FIFA and they just do as they please...
What!!! 1994 was only 21 years ago, and they are hardly known as a football loving nation, albeit it's growing in popularity. Disgraceful if they got the World Cup 32 years after previously hosting it, with England having to wait over double that time. Also, purely practically, England is a nice, small country. They won't have to think about time zones, or travelling too far between matches. We've got top stadiums, great facilities, and it's our turn!!! Hate the money grabbing attitude which has taken over the game...
It's the usual politics, Fox were ready to sue FIFA as the original TV contract for Qatar was a summer deal so FIFA, without any bidding process, gave Fox the 2026 contract to avert the fallout. Many believe it's a virtual 'done deal' that USA will be awarded the tournament on the 'rota basis' with Europe (Spain/Portugal) in 2030. It is noted that those two countries regularly block any European moves against Blatter...
Maybe the days of one country hosting the entire tournament are over as witnessed by the awarding of Euro 2020 by UEFA to a number of different cities. FIFA might follow suit with the world cup?
No chance, the World Cup is FIFA's meal ticket and, no matter how corrupt it is viewed, it is so lucrative to 'dilute' it in any way would be like turkeys voting for Christmas. The only way to change would be the top countries setting up a rival tournament but none of them have the balls to do it...
USA would have got it regardless - in the probable absence of any credible African bid it would have been America's turn anyway. If Fox has got in early then I can't say I really blame it! Maybe we should be thinking about getting broadcasters to do something similar for 2030 instead.
I remember going to England games as a child and it being the highlight of my month and on occasions year. Sadly my love for the international game has like many gone off the boil somewhat, for a lot of different reasons Be that players not being bothered to play and having convenient injuries, yes Sturidge I’m looking at you this time, he is one of many though, the clubs not really caring to bring through the youth and having less excitement about the U21s, most of the managers over the last 15 years providing no inspiration at all. However those absolute bastards at FIFA I think have killed it for me totally, if they were a country America would have bombed the **** out of them by now! Corrupt to the core, laughing at everyone as there doesn’t appear to be anything that can be done about it. It makes me incandescent with rage when we have the kick racism out of football as well as other equality and anti-bigotry campaigns yet they give the prestige of hosting the world cups to Russia and Qatar both countries with bigotry and corruption by the ship load. Surely part of what the world cup is about leaving a legacy behind and bringing football to the world, if anyone thinks that Qatar is going to become a footballing nation with a proper club infrastructure they need institutionalising straight away! The only way things would change is if, like people have said, some of the major nations dropped out until things changed. My only regret if we were to do this would be players missing playing on such a stage. PS Blatter and FIFA **** you!!
Then Russia would be the precise place to bring it to mate. I think its high time Russia got a World Cup although considering its FIFA, it was probably all done in a corrupt and shady manner. You've a right to feel angered Tim because England deserve a World Cup after all this time. FIFA is rotten to the core.
Swords agree in a way if I didn't have issue with the racism, questionable human rights issues and the way in which Mr Putin conducts the countries business they would be, in my opinion 100% the right place to be hosting. Yes I would love the world cup to be in blighty however I can deal with it being elsewhere as long as they are forward thinking nations without serious human rights violations and mass bigotry. However I understand finding a country that doesn't have issues in on way or another isn't exactly easy but some places shouldn't be considered until improvements have been made in my opinion.
Qatar will have a fantastic legacy of 605,000 seats in 12 stadia for a population of 278,000 citizens, plus 1.5m expatriates (many of them Filipinos, Nepalis, Sri Lankans etc on close to indentured labour terms). Its like England having 17 million seats in football stadiums, just in case there's a rush on, like. A very bad joke indeed.
I agree with what you say to a point Tim. I just think we need to be careful in western Europe, north America etc that we don't allow a sense of superiority over other parts of the World take hold (although if we're honest, its always been there). For example, I remember watching Sky Sports' pathetic attempts to discredit Ukraine leading up to the tournament 3 years ago. Their scaremongering and haughty manner was cringeworthy. I remember one day they had a chap going around a road trying to count how many potholes he could find. Needless to say they co-hosted the tournament very successfully. The lead up to Brazil was also all doom and gloom. Stadiums wouldn't be ready, there would be an uprising by the poor etc but they put on one of the best World Cups in history. If we want to bring the game to the World we have to bring it to imperfect places. Speaking of which, I hear the USA are making a bid....
I hear the US have got it something to do with TV rights for qatar and then FIFA moving the goalposts, sounds a little currupt to me
