Failed World Cup Bid

[Henrick_Pedigol]

An impartial (none English) view of FIFA's voting system from our Canadian friends

 

 

 

Twenty-two years ago, when FIFA awarded the favored United States the 1994 World Cup, the decision seemed like a slam dunk even weeks prior the announcement.

 

As to which countries will wind up hosting the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, well, your guess is as good as ours. There are many indications that the US is in a very good spot, but the process is much more complex than it was in 1988.

 

It was a much simpler and different world back then. For instance, high-ranking FIFA officials actually spoke about the bids. Today, mum's the word, at least until the announcement is made in Z?rich, Switzerland, on Thursday.

 

For the 1994 World Cup, a simple plurality ? the most votes, not necessarily a majority ? was needed to win. The US received 10 votes, Brazil seven and Morocco two. Now, a majority is needed.

 

But that's only one of the complications.

 

Instead of having one World Cup host selected six years in advance, two World Cups hosts will be named eight and 12 years prior. Instead of the three candidates (Brazil, Morocco and the US) there were in '94, there are five countries vying to host the 2022 competition ? Australia, Japan, Korea, Qatar and the US ? while Belgium/Netherlands, England, Russia and Spain/Portugal are the 2018 candidates.

 

Before the 2022 vote is taken, the FIFA executive committee will pick the 2018 host. That could have an effect on 2022, depending on who votes for whom and which candidates and voting blocks are backing other finalists.

 

If a majority ? 12 out of 22 votes ? isn't reached on the first ballot, the candidate with the lowest amount of votes will be eliminated, similar to the Olympic process, until a winner is determined. In case of a tie, FIFA president Sepp Blatter will cast the deciding vote.

 

So, it isn't necessarily about finishing atop the first ballot, but surviving into the second round and accruing votes in subsequent rounds. Depending on politics, the likes and dislikes of the FIFA executive committee, the leader could change from round to round and the outcome could be a surprise.

 

Working in the US' favor is this: The US bid committee knows how to present like top-notch professionals. The superb '94 bid set the standard, making sure it dotted all the I's and crossed all the T's in two comprehensive bid books. In 1988, Brazil's bid book was criticized by FIFA as being flimsy. Learning from the US' '94 effort, every candidate's bid is much more comprehensive.

 

For 2022, the US went several steps further, with an impressive, five-volume, 1,250-page, 16-pound package that had substance and style. That's no clincher, of course. There's still a vote to be taken, and the recent corruption scandal implicated the US bid, though only by suggestion. (Reporters from The Times of London, posing as lobbyists for a US business group, said FIFA executive committee members Amos Adamu (Nigeria) and Reyard Temarli (Tahiti) offered to sell their votes. Both men were banned from the sport.)

 

Compare that to the '94 vote, in which two Brazilians on the executive committee ? FIFA president Dr. Jo?o Havelange and Ab?lio d'Almeida ? declined to vote so there would be no conflict of interest.

 

It is not known exactly how the recent scandal's fallout will affect the vote, and that's a gray area that looms like a storm cloud.

 

There is one change, however, that may be for the better. When the late FIFA executive vice president Harry Cavan announced the '94 winner, it took hours before American soccer public knew the result because the best ways to communicate back then were by telephone or wire service reports.

 

On Thursday, within minutes, if not seconds, the entire world will know whether the US tastes success, thanks to the announcement being streamed live on FIFA.com, Twitter, websites and blogs.

 

Regardless of glory or failure, the suspense will be brief.

 

 

I think we've got more chance of winning the Eurovision Song Contest that hosting the world cup. Lets face it the voting system is as bent

 

 

http://www.torontofc.ca/news/2010/11/usa-bid-world-away-1994

[bolty58]

Bent as f'uck. I suspect there are a lot more than have been outed that are on the take.

 

The mother of football should never have given control to Johnny Foreigner

 

The Chairmen of the founder members of the Football League should be the voting panel.

[waffer cup 07]

Cue the English Media/press, dig deep, rip Blatter and his bent cronies apart.

[Ani]

just been on talksport (from the government minister who was involved in the bid who was being interviewed) that he has been told that of the 22 people who had a vote only 3 asked for a copy of the technical reports.

 

these reports say how well the countries meet the bid criteria, they cost about ?5M each to produce and the bent bqastards can not be bothered readign them.

[HomerJay]

Corruption aside, surely the basis of any vote should be on these documents more than anything else?

[L/H White]

Intresting post found on a message board?.

 

Let me get this right...

 

At the Qatar World Cup in 2022, there will be;

 

32 teams

8 Groups

4 teams per group

12 matches per group.

 

12 matches x 8 groups = 96 group games

 

Into the knockouts there will be;

 

16 teams progress

8 knockout round matches

 

96 group games + 8 knockouts = 104 matches so far

 

Into the Quarter Finals, there will be;

 

8 teams progress

4 QF matches

 

104 matches so far + 4 QF games = 108 matches so far

 

Into the Semi-Finals, there will be;

 

4 teams progress

2 SF matches

 

108 matches so far + 2 SF games = 110 matches so far

 

Into the World Cup Final, there will be;

 

2 teams progress

1 World Cup Final

 

110 matches + WC Final = 111 matches

 

Hang on, there's also the 3rd/4th Play off match, equalling 112 matches played at the Qatar 2022 World Cup.

 

You multiply these 112 matches by an average of say, 50,000 spectators per game and that gives you = 5,600,000 total spectators.

 

How on earth can a country of 1.4 million people honestly expect and sustain 5.6 million people over a month?

[SpiritofBurnden]

just been on talksport (from the government minister who was involved in the bid who was being interviewed) that he has been told that of the 22 people who had a vote only 3 asked for a copy of the technical reports.

 

these reports say how well the countries meet the bid criteria, they cost about ?5M each to produce and the bent bqastards can not be bothered readign them.

 

It cost us around ?15M over a three year bidding process and we got TWO votes. One was from ourselves and the other was from a FIFA member who we'd supported when he opposed Blatter at the last presidential election. He would have voted for us regardless of the merits of our bid. So in other words we spent ?15M for a total return of ZERO new votes!

[Happy Wanderer]

You multiply these 112 matches by an average of say, 50,000 spectators per game and that gives you = 5,600,000 total spectators.

 

How on earth can a country of 1.4 million people honestly expect and sustain 5.6 million people over a month?

Very good point.

 

I do see a massive amount of investment going into Qatar not only locally but from oversea investers too.

 

It's all about money money money and nothing to do with football what so ever.

[Pablo]

Intresting post found on a message board?.

 

Let me get this right...

 

At the Qatar World Cup in 2022, there will be;

 

32 teams

8 Groups

4 teams per group

12 matches per group.

 

12 matches x 8 groups = 96 group games

 

Into the knockouts there will be;

 

16 teams progress

8 knockout round matches

 

96 group games + 8 knockouts = 104 matches so far

 

Into the Quarter Finals, there will be;

 

8 teams progress

4 QF matches

 

104 matches so far + 4 QF games = 108 matches so far

 

Into the Semi-Finals, there will be;

 

4 teams progress

2 SF matches

 

108 matches so far + 2 SF games = 110 matches so far

 

Into the World Cup Final, there will be;

 

2 teams progress

1 World Cup Final

 

110 matches + WC Final = 111 matches

 

Hang on, there's also the 3rd/4th Play off match, equalling 112 matches played at the Qatar 2022 World Cup.

 

You multiply these 112 matches by an average of say, 50,000 spectators per game and that gives you = 5,600,000 total spectators.

 

How on earth can a country of 1.4 million people honestly expect and sustain 5.6 million people over a month?

 

 

That is assuming that each person only goes to the county to go to 1 game.

 

But still, the numbers dont add up.

 

They have told FIFA that 95,000 Hotel rooms will be built.....still doesn't seem enough to me !

[H]

Considering we can't get any votes in the Eurovision Song Contest I think two in the world cup is a fucking miracle - regardless of who they were from

[Pablo]

Also, what a HUGE opertunity for Alcohol and Beer Companies to get over to Qatar, and pitch for the "Drinking Zone's"... Food aswell, every Food Retailer worth its salt with be sending its best Sales Director's over right now!

[Mr Softee]

Intresting post found on a message board?.

 

Let me get this right...

 

At the Qatar World Cup in 2022, there will be;

 

32 teams

8 Groups

4 teams per group

12 matches per group.

 

12 matches x 8 groups = 96 group games

 

Into the knockouts there will be;

 

16 teams progress

8 knockout round matches

 

96 group games + 8 knockouts = 104 matches so far

 

Into the Quarter Finals, there will be;

 

8 teams progress

4 QF matches

 

104 matches so far + 4 QF games = 108 matches so far

 

Into the Semi-Finals, there will be;

 

4 teams progress

2 SF matches

 

108 matches so far + 2 SF games = 110 matches so far

 

Into the World Cup Final, there will be;

 

2 teams progress

1 World Cup Final

 

110 matches + WC Final = 111 matches

 

Hang on, there's also the 3rd/4th Play off match, equalling 112 matches played at the Qatar 2022 World Cup.

 

You multiply these 112 matches by an average of say, 50,000 spectators per game and that gives you = 5,600,000 total spectators.

 

How on earth can a country of 1.4 million people honestly expect and sustain 5.6 million people over a month?

 

 

I think there are only 6 matches per group. 3 match days with 2 games per match day. That nearly halves the number of spectators.

[Carlos]

Also, what a HUGE opertunity for Alcohol and Beer Companies to get over to Qatar, and pitch for the "Drinking Zone's"... Food aswell, every Food Retailer worth its salt with be sending its best Sales Director's over right now!

 

It'll be FIFA's partners, Bud and MaccyD's or whatever. Qatar will really struggle to staff the whole operation.

[passmosster]

Also, what a HUGE opertunity for Alcohol and Beer Companies to get over to Qatar, and pitch for the "Drinking Zone's"... Food aswell, every Food Retailer worth its salt with be sending its best Sales Director's over right now!

 

But how will they compete with goat stew?

[buckhurstwhite]

Qatar will really struggle to staff the whole operation.

 

They will ship in loads of people from the sub-continent as they do for construction projects etc., It will be no different from most Premier League grounds then

[Ani]

But how will they compete with goat stew?

 

 

Exactly what I said to Mr Holden when I saw Widnes going into sex park in Prague.

[Bigtoe]

It was a joke and I hope the slimeballs get their comeuppence.

 

Anyhow, who is with me for launching Horwich/Blackrods 2030 World Cup Campaign ? Sponsored by Carrs Pasties.

 

To save the expense of a design team Diddles can be our official mascot.

[no balls]

It was a joke and I hope the slimeballs get their comeuppence.

 

Anyhow, who is with me for launching Horwich/Blackrods 2030 World Cup Campaign ? Sponsored by Carrs Pasties.

 

To save the expense of a design team Diddles can be our official mascot.

 

 

Do you know, i think you've got a bloody good idea there.

The fields on Green Lane & Bobs Brew already have adequate changing facilities in the shape of a heated water tight container already so there's little work needed there.

[HomerJay]

I am yet to have anyone explain to me why the Panorama investigation had a negative impact on the England bid specifically. Did it show F.A officials being bribed, or offering bribes?

 

You're all fucking mad.

 

 

andy anson has just said 4 respresentives told him just that.

 

 

tbf, i am suprised at that news myself.

[no balls]

They will ship in loads of people from the sub-continent as they do for construction projects etc.,

He's not wrong. I was once on a flight from Jakarta & apart from the business class bodies every fucker on there seemed to be "staff".

Edited December 3, 2010 by no balls

[Ani]

andy anson has just said 4 respresentives told him just that.

 

 

tbf, i am suprised at that news myself.

 

 

They are hardly going to say 'This Russian man has threatned to blow me up and stab my children with a special spys umbrella and some arab has offered me 1500 camels and my own personal oil well.'

 

easier to blame something else.

[Zico]

7 pages so I'm not trawling looking to see if this has been mentioned

 

but it was rumoured yesterday that Brazil are on their arse with regards getting sorted for 2014

 

and they may have to take it off them and give it to someone who has enough stadia in place already to go ahead with it

 

think us and USA were touted as one of two teams who'd be asked if Brazil do cock up

 

if I had a link to this, I'd post it, but I don't

[HomerJay]

They are hardly going to say 'This Russian man has threatned to blow me up and stab my children with a special spys umbrella and some arab has offered me 1500 camels and my own personal oil well.'

 

easier to blame something else.

 

 

i can only comment on whats reported, not whats going on in your head.

[bolty58]

 

but it was rumoured yesterday that Brazil are on their arse with regards getting sorted for 2014

 

 

They said that about South Africa and I would have a lot more faith in a top footballing nation like Brazil.

 

Won't be a problem. Back Brazil now. National obsession in righting the 1950 wrong.

[maaarsh]

7 pages so I'm not trawling looking to see if this has been mentioned

 

but it was rumoured yesterday that Brazil are on their arse with regards getting sorted for 2014

 

and they may have to take it off them and give it to someone who has enough stadia in place already to go ahead with it

 

think us and USA were touted as one of two teams who'd be asked if Brazil do cock up

 

if I had a link to this, I'd post it, but I don't

 

 

Won't happen, but if it did I have a rough idea where I'd suggest they shove it.