We need to think outside the box a little here. If FIFA wants to reward the lesser confederations with World Cups despite the fact that places like Africa really don't have any individual countries with the infrastructure to hold one properly, the solution in the age of jet travel is obvious: in future, some World Cups will no longer be hosted by individual countries but whole regions, with nine venues scattered among 4-9 countries. This way no individual country gets in over its head financially, but still, Africa (for example) can host.
If brazil gets 2014 then the usa will not get 2018 or 2022 since it considers north and south america as the americas (since north america really just have mex or usa with the ability to host), and fifa will not return the cup to the region twice in an 8 year span. I would say it returns to mexico, usa or africa by 2026. 2010 Africa 2014 Brazil 2018 Europe 12 years after 2006 2022 Asia 20 years after 2002 2026 USA/Africa 16 for africa or 12 for the americas
Also i dont think anyone besides us americans want to see the usa host a wc. Our night games are euro's early morning. Also the summer is extremely hot in many big cities and the size of the US is way to large to have teams fly all over the country for games. NY-LA, Tx- Chicago, Boston-Seattle.
Fevernova99 Ah, the arrogance & ignorance of growing up with the "world news" coming exclusively out of NY !!! There's a little space in the southern hemisphere, somewhat bigger than Texas, still unknown to all those who reside in the good old USA !!! Who knows, maybe FIFA and its syncophants (such as all those posters on this thread who ignore the mighty Oceania) may eventually acknowledge its existance, at least in their deliberations & formal listings. AUS is currently in the process of taking over Oceania and after that FIFA. AUS will eventually move FIFA's headquarters from Geneva to Canberra. After which, the WC's will be run exclusively every other time in AUS and alternatively in the rest of the world (the USA forever excluded !!). Cheers. Andy T.
Andy, I'm not saying oceania will never host a cup in the next 20 years, i'm fully aware of its existence and my exclusion is simply due to the politics of FIFA. To be honest with you i think when its time to return to the eastern hemisphere it will be down to China vs Australia. But look at korea/japan, so many complaints about the time of games for south americans and europeans, and its relatively short and unknown soccer culture. Like some of the posters here believe, in 20 years China may become a global superpower and that will probably appeal a lot to fifa as it may be able to pull in more money for the cup. Plus isnt it winter in may/june down under?
Fevernova99 Isn't football a winter game ? Was the last time I watched any European & South American football. Perfect time to play football in Australia. Cheers. Andy T.
I do remember that from 1994. Having at least 5 hours on you lot was hard work. The games that kicked off earlier were great, but the issue of temperature was a biggie. I'll never forget the image of Big Jack and Aldridge blowing a piston in the sweltering heat of wherever they were.
Fevernova99, I'm sure AUS can accommodate the cup in the summer time. Maybe even get down to the beach and have a surf before playing the games. Unfortunately some of the European teams may falter a little in temperatures above 38C and humidity approaching 100% (and that's in the late afternoon). Cheers. Andy T.
this should have: WARNING FLAME WAR MAY ENSUE, PROCEED WITH CAUTION Look down the track Australia will host as we have proven we can host big events. 2 Olympics, Many Commonweath games, Rugby World Cup, Cricket World Cup, and many other important sporting events. But that won't happen in 10 years or so when we manage to qualify at least 2 times before getting the gong to host it.
Doomsday Scenarios Australian winter, in June or July, sounds ideal, which is one thing South Africa now has going for it. Soccer is not a hotweather sport like cricket. January is just not feasible yet for a WC in terms of league scheduling. I think Australia's BIG hope to host a WC is to be ready to step in at a moment's notice if there is trouble with or in a host, such as the USA did with last year's Women's World Cup due to the unexpected SARS crisis in China. With your array of Olympic stadia as well as the large Cricket and Rugby venues that could easily be converted, as well as the fact that you are a relatively well-organized (Bladder's issuances nwstd!) and infrastructured country, you are in a good position like the USA to be able to host on a last-minute basis. Look at Athens. With both the security debacle and the construction mess, I bet that the IOC now wishes it had of kept a closer watch on the broken promises and stepped in sooner with an alternate site. If I was the IOC, I would move this August's games to Sydney NOW, but that is unlikely to happen. FIFA had better draw up very strict guidelines in terms of construction schedule, security, financial, infrastructure issues and be prepared to force the awarded host to stick to them with no excuses or to move them quickly without remorse, as well as have alternate sites ready. Things now change very quickly and unexpectedly in this crazy world. Australia should have a permanent contingency committee ready to step in if such a situation arises. Already having qualified for the WC in question would help. I wish Canada was in such a state, but we'd have to do a bit of building and reorganizing first. What other countries besides Australia and the US could be last-minute stand-alone hosts, in case the worst happens leading up to Morocco or South Africa in 2010, Brazil in 2014, China in 2022, Russia in 2026, etc. ? Asia: Japan, Korea (both countries have the infrastructure to have hosted a full 32 field tournament separately, the present stadia in each could handle double the workload). Europe: England, Spain (maybe with Portugal, especially if both already qualified at the time), France, Germany, Italy (pushing it, given the stadia). A 32 team tournament is probably beyond the reach of Portugal, and some of the Euro 2004 stadia are a bit small. So, we have these eight or nine ready to step in, if they and FIFA become ready and able. I hope they plan better than El Presidente Bush. No sense doing the ostrich.
beachesl, After the way FIFA treated Oceania on direct qualification to the WC 2006 (and subsequent playoffs for the last 4 half places), there would be a better chance of a snow-flake surviving in hell than Australia stepping in at the last moment to save FIFA's bacon (in the emergency type scenario you suggest). FIFA (especially the despicable Septic Bladder) has done severe & permanent long-term damage to any relationship it ever had with Australia, Australian football & the Australian public (ie governments & fans), let alone the rest of Oceania, with its cynical giving and political taking away of the offer. It just proved unequivocally to the world that FIFA & its powerful confederations (UEFA & CONMEBOL) don't have the good of the game at heart, just their own agendas and god help anyone who gets in their way. Wrt the Sydney 2000 Olympics, there was very widespread & strong support for this event, amongst these stakeholders in Australia. I see there being NO SUPPORT for hosting a football WC in Australia, anytime soon (despite the obvious allure of some kind of national prestige being gained by being part of the exercise). Cheers. Andy T.
No, it proved unequivocally that Blatter is a ************ing disgrace. It was hardly UEFA's fault that Blatter decided to play politics both by awarding Oceania a direct spot and then removing it.
I would like to throw a wrench into this arguement. I remember a while back hearing that FIFA's sponsors wanted a WC in the USA soon because they want exsposure in the USA market. Something to think about.
M, It was UEFA & CONMEBOL, who between them have over 50% of the FIFA executive votes, and who conspired to take back the direct qualification from Oceania. Both President's of the two confederations were openingly bragging about the treachery and were quoted in the world press / media as being at the forefront of the backsliding. They were too cowardly to attack the ludicrous AFC allocation, so just went for Oceania's. Check it out on google, should you not believe me. The same result could have been achieved (without shafting Oceania) by taking back from the Asian Football Confederation, the two HOST places that they kept permanently as part of their WC place allocation after Japan/Korea 2002. Why should the AFC have been allowed to keep 2 full "host" places in 4 1/2 merely by being the previous hosts ? This turned out to be at the cost of direct entry for Oceania & also at the cost of the victorious WC 2002 holder Brazil (ie no longer getting automatic qualification) ? Surely 3 places for the AFC was more than equitable ?? Andy T.
About Africa: If many northern African nations would try to host a world cup that should be possible ( for example: Marocco, Tunesia and Egypt should be possible)
since your talking about weather: this is the weather in morocco quote:Located at the north westernmost tip of Africa, with the Atlantic Ocean to the West, the Mediterranean Sea to the North and the stately Atlas mountain range to the East, Morocco boasts superb weather conditions, thereby offering an ideal climate for the 2010 FIFA World CupTM. In Morocco, the months of June and July offer optimal conditions for the organization of major football matches: dry climate, sunny conditions and moderate weather. Agadir : 23.7 C° Casablanca : 23.6C° El Jadida : 23.2 C° Fez : 28.9 C° Marrakech: 31.1 C° Meknes: 28.4 C° Rabat: 24.6 C° Tangier: 25.5 C° source: http://www.morocco2010.com u can check the title down : Morocco is the ideal climate for the Football World Cup
this is some pictures that show how close is morocco to europe: http://www.morocco-2010.com/en/Phototheque.asp?PageNbr=3&pagesize=6 the article http://www.morocco-2010.com/en/DetailActualite.asp?ID=33
AndyMead, Love your self-portrait, mate ! The photo must have been taken immediately after your mum took away your dummy. LOL. Andy T.
Not going to defend Asia's allocation (one of those spots should be Europe's) but there is no justification for a confederation as weak as Oceania to get a direct qualification spot. Arguing that Oceania should get a spot because Asia shouldn't is bizarre at best. You only complaints are that Blatter played politics by promising Oceania an extra spot, and the fact that you have to play off against CONMEBOL and not Asia.
M, You seem to conveniently forget that the number of places was increased from 28 to 32 for Japan/Korea WC 2002, easily accommodating all the competing demands for places in WC 2006 onwards, including the greedy UEFA ! BTW the Oceania place wasn't promised but actually formally allocated, accompanied with contracts & agreements. Blatter was subsequently rolled 6 months later at a FIFA executive meeting by a recind motion sponsored by UEFA & CONMEBOL (after they'd done a sweetheart deal on how the places should be better allocated to their liking). I don't give a toss on AUS having to meet with CONMEBOL #5 (Brazil ?) home & away. I do care about the manner in which the FIFA allocation was shamelessly overturned, as I've previously pointed out it could have been done more equitably in a world-wide context. Andy T.
What? The numbers were increased from 24 to 32 in 1998. And even with 32, Oceania simply doesn't deserve a direct qualification spot. And UEFA more than justifies its places by the performances of its teams on the field - no greed required.
M, You are correct. It was 1998, but (here I go again !) I was convinced that it was increased from 28 to 32 (4 places only). Andy T.