World Cup 2018, The Race Begins

Phillip Buckley

Days after the 2014 World Cup was awarded to Brazil (the only South American candidate), England announced their intention to seek to host it in 2018. Fifa in all its wisdom decided to scrap the policy of rotation this same year. Many believed rotation as a policy would never last and after taking the tournament to Korea/Japan in 2002, South Africa as the next hosts in 2010 and then Brazil in 2014, there is no reason to believe it will ever return. Bar Oceania (whose major country, Australia, now play as part of Asia anyway) all the continents will have had a host since 1994.

England are sure to face stiff opposition to host the tournament, the “home” of football is rumoured to be facing competition from Australia, China, Holland/Belgium, Russia and the USA/Mexico. Even a “Celtic” joint bid from

Ireland and Scotland has been talked up in recent days.

Given Fifa’s aversion to joint hosts (despite a successful Korea/Japan) it is reasonable to assume that Holland/Belgium, Ireland/Scotland and the USA/Mexico would start at something of a disadvantage. However, Poland/Ukraine’s recent win of the right to host Euro 2012 proves that underdogs can always triumph in this game of realpolitik.

Widely believed to offer the most substantial opposition to an English victory are China and Russia, and with good reason.

Fifa are strangely, I have always thought, like a national government. They pull in income from the World Cup, elect an executive (government), appoint a President and fiercely guard their domain. In fact, should Fifa believe a national government is interfering with a national football association, they will suspend the country from Fifa and thus all international and club tournaments. Recently Greece and Poland have suffered this fate. It is usually only temporary as national politicians scurry around in a state of panic attempting to please Fifa and gain re-admittance.

Fifa’s World Cup, whilst also their premiere money making machine, is the only mechanism they have to grow their game (economy). They must use it effectively, in the same way a government must set interest rates. That is why, I, even as an Englishman, would have to agree with Fifa should they choose either China or Russia over England as the 2018 hosts.

English football is saturated, the coverage wall to wall and anyone not already interested in the game is unlikely to become an ardent supporter simply because a World Cup is staged in the country. More likely they will express a casual interest, becoming drawn into the tournament for its duration and then switching off when domestic football resumes. Thus chances to develop and grow the game in England are very limited.

Both China and Russia do not have this problem. The Chinese are lucky enough to be hosting the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, very precipitous given that a vote on 2018 won’t be taken until 2009 (although the list of bidders is expected to be whittled down somewhat in 2008) and then those Olympic games will be fresh in the minds of Fifa’s executives. Should China put on a successful Olympics, it will surely do wonders for a potential 2018 World Cup bid.

China’s Super League is still, despite some investment, a fledgling league and hosting the World Cup would improve stadia and infrastructure across the country. It is also normally the case that once a major tournament has been held in a country (after its cities and stadia have basked in its glow) foreign players are much more likely to be open to a move to the country upon it’s conclusion. Provided of course domestic clubs have the wherewithal to afford them. Attendances would rise and the game as a whole would receive a massive boost. Far more than it ever could in England.

The same is true of Russia. The league there is certainly better than China’s and it has been buoyed by oligarchs pouring in money made off the back of the nation’s natural resources. Russia already has some good clubs and the league in general a high standard of play. In 2005 Russia side CSKA Moscow won the UEFA Cup beating a Sporting Lisbon side in their own backyard in the final. The game has continued to improve with quality South Americans being the rule rather than the exception, the performances of Brazilians Vagner Love, Jo and Daniel Carvalho marking the tip of an iceberg of flair players that now adorn the Russian game.

Hosting the World Cup in Russia would further develop stadia and importantly improve infrastructure that would benefit the country as a whole. Anyone who watched England’s recent away game in Russia was left in no doubt as to the need for undersoil heating to be installed in Russian grounds. Eastern European football has fallen very far very fast in the post-communist world and a strong Russian league featuring strong club sides would do much to improve the situation.

Australia lurks as something of a dark horse. Sitting in the awkward position of directly on the fence between Oceania and Asia. This isn’t so much of a problem now rotation is not an issue anymore and may even allow them to pick up Asian votes more easily. There is also potential for development here too. Former Middlesbrough midfielder, the little magician Juninho now playing for Sydney FC believes Australia would be an exciting and sensible choice to host 2018, “I think they have all the conditions to have the World Cup here…Australia will become more popular with football , so it’s a very good option”.

Of course, if Fifa looks past using the World Cup as a tool for development, then England can host a fantastic tournament. All the stadia are in place, most of the infrastructure, as schemes would dovetail nicely with the hosting of the 2012 Olympics. TV coverage and commercial opportunities would also be much greater in England than they would in Russia and, despite its growth, China too. There is also no doubt the new Wembley was built to host spectacles on the scale of a World Cup Final.

As an Englishman I would love my country to win the right to host the World Cup in 2018 and I’m sure we would put on a spectacular show for the entire planet to enjoy. But for the good of football and the development of the game, the tournament should go to China or Russia.