The FIFA debacle

[Simon]

What are people's opinions on this horrible mess?

I'm glad it's all come out in the open at last, it's hardly a secret that the entire organisation is corrupt to its core but hopefully this will now lead to permanent change. It's a bit worrying that despite Warner and Bin Hammam being implicated so heavily, Blatter seems to have come away unscathed - change needs to come from the top IMO - but at least some headway is finally being made.

Big ups to the Paraguayan FIFA delegate who was willing to exchange his World Cup vote for either a British knighthood or having the FA Cup named after him :lol:

[Alf]

It's insane that there isn't more of an uproar. I see Australia have said they want paying back for all the money they put into the bid.

It now casts a huge doubt on the bid for 2018 too.

As for FIFA basically saying "We'll look into it ourselves... lolz" yeah, alright fuck cunts.

Didn't Blatter admit that he knew about it but because money didn't change hands he was ok with it? Madness.

[El Capitano Gatisto]

It just means that Blatter has taken out his biggest rival for the president post. I doubt any real change will take place unless sponsors threaten to pull out of backing FIFA en masse. Then there would be no money to make out of it.

FIFA has been shady from when the World Cup started to emerge as a big competition. The English president Stanley Rous supported apartheid and refused to develop the game by including smaller nations. He was a racist, basically. Sepp Blatter has done more than most to actually globalise the sport by making sure World Cups are going to nations in Asia and Africa, genuinely recognising it as a world sport. Whether he has done that to establish his backing or because he has a genuine interest is neither here or there, as either way it is proof the set-up is correct at a conceptual level. There is always going to be this problem where the biggest nations feel they should take precedence, failing to recognise that the game can only stay truly global if it is inclusive. Unfortunately the corruption is a side effect of small nations being given a real say in how the organisation is run. Giving the World Cup to Qatar is a ludicrous decision, however, giving it to Russia was not (corruption or no corruption) and at a certain level there is a measure of expectation from the English press and FA (the English FA is also an absolute joke we should remember) that they deserve to hold a World Cup just because they want to. FIFA's remit is to bring the game to the world.

There needs to be a process of accountability and modernisation at FIFA, but it would be equally poor if it was simply reduced to a conglomeration of large nations looking out for their own interests, as that would eventually lead to club interests taking over, club interests meaning the same 8 or 9 clubs who contest the Champions League year after year.

[Beefy]

Everyone has known this was the case for years. There were plenty of tangible enticements offered by the FA in exchange for support for the England bid. I think we offered friendlies with certain countries and financial support for a footballing acadamy in the Caribbean amongst other things. It's just how blatant it was with the Qatar bid which has brought the whole thing tumbling down.

This was a natural consequence of (and probably reason for) the decision to put the power to decide such things into the hands of a small group of old men. Each nation should be able to cast a vote for whichever candidate has got the best claim to the tournament. If there's an appetite for it to go to a new country then let it go to a new country. If there's an appetite for it to go to an established footballing power then it should go there. But either way it'll be much more difficult to bribe 200 decision makers than it is the handful at present.

[Second City Saint]

The Qatar decision might've cost me World Cup football in my back yard. But at the same time, the World Cup was here in 1994 and if I removed my own self interests from the equation, I'd rather see the event rotate around all parts of the world before it came back.

[UK Blue]

I see Warner and Bin Hammam have now come out and publicly urged CONCACAF and Asian delegates to back Blatter tomorrow. I guess in exchange for the FIFA ethics committee to quietly brush everything that's happened under the carpet in a few months time? The whole thing is a joke. Much respect to the FA and SFA for making a stand today, unfortunately we all know it'll count for little.

I'm unsure of Chuck Blazer's role and motivations in all this. You'd have thought he was simply working for Blatter, blowing the whistle when he did to give Blatter a clear run (and to stitch up Bin Hamman, who had clearly gone back on his word when announcing his intention to run for Presidency) in exchange for payments or extra power, but today he reported Warner to Valcke for backing Blatter, which doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Perhaps he just hates Warner.

What's inarguable is that 1) the World Cup bidding process was highly flawed and corrupt, and 2) the ethics committee is a joke and in no way independent. Sadly nothing will change unless either countries and sponsors start dropping out or real concrete evidence of corruption surfaces against Blatter himself. Hopefully the media will continue to irritate them anyway.

I was pretty much unaware of what was going on with the 'IOC - Salt Lake City' scandal at the time, but reading back about that and the changes that occured afterwards, it's obvious that this is the kind of shake up that FIFA needs.

[UK Blue]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/13607969.stm

Stewart Regan, SFA chief exec comes across very well and makes a lot of sense here.

[Alf]

So, The english FA got an absolute battering in the vote, with the Argentinan and Cypriot members pretty much saying that teh English FA and press always whinge and need to pipe down.

[UK Blue]

I'd be interested to know who the 15 other members were.

Seems like Germany could be one of them, given their comments about Qatar 2022 this morning.

[Alf]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/jun/01/fifa-presidential-election-live-blog

This makes fantastic reading. It's like the scene from Star Wars when Palpatine takes power...

[Beefy]

They're just all as bad as eachother.

[UK Blue]

So in conclusion, no-one is corrupt and all the problems stem from English lies. Brilliant.

[Bad Collin]

FIFA is a joke, they are a non profit organisation with billions in the bank.

Sadly though, having corrupt individuals running the game is probably better than having lots of rival organisations.

[son_of_foley]

Hehehe the concept of the FA running a breakway federation with all the worlds top nations makes me laugh as they are inept fuckers.

[son_of_foley]

Also the concept of a champions league of nations is offensive and people who desire that but cry on about competitiveness of club football are moronic idiots who I wish death upon

[Bad Collin]

Hopefully this doesn't go away. Blatter just got re-elected in a one man race but the FA and the 17 who support them should keep pushing to get rid of the corruption.

[MMH]

To be honest none of it bothers me in the slightest. All ruling bodies seem to be dicks anyway. Just get on the pitch and kick a ball about, I dont care what happens behind the scenes.

Although maybe i future anyone who runs an FA etc should also have to gain some kind of badge similar to the coaching badge, that way in theory you would have football people
running the game.

[Red Dog]

I've not been following this but my Dad told me today that the Argentinian guy said something like England are liars and always cause trouble. I'd have voted for them if they gave the Falklands back.

[1_Pablo_Angel]

Grondona only on Tuesday described the English as "pirates" and said of the England 2018 bid: "If you give back the Falkland Islands, which belong to us, you will get my vote."


Julio Grondona responds to a journalist's question about referee standards in Argentina by saying: "I do not believe a Jew can ever be a referee at this level. It's hard work and, you know, Jews don't like hard work." ("Julio's a monumental man!" says Sepp. "We are friends for ever.")

Nice guy.

The way they're all going on about 'the Fifa Family' has a hint of La Cosa Nostra to it.

[DeathInc]

Basically FIFA has somewhat evolved into a "corporate" environment where deep pockets rules. Corruption happens at all level but the scale that FIFA is dealing with at the moment will only "hamper" football development. Whats next? A "Champion's League" version for national teams every season?

[Aussie_Outlaw]

The Qatar decision might've cost me World Cup football in my back yard. But at the same time, the World Cup was here in 1994 and if I removed my own self interests from the equation, I'd rather see the event rotate around all parts of the world before it came back.


Never been down here, no wonder it's the second summer sport.


Down here the media is all going mental since they're being sore losers as they had talked up Australia as an absolute lock for the World Cup. (and they claim the only reason we lost was rigging)


Unfortunately the sport isn't too strong down here and needs a kick in the arse to get a decent foothold like they did in 2002 with South Korea/Japan.

[son_of_foley]

Australia would be a fantastic host but they wonder if it's going to penetrate a big enough market for them to make up for the time difference.

[son_of_foley]

Basically FIFA has somewhat evolved into a "corporate" environment where deep pockets rules. Corruption happens at all level but the scale that FIFA is dealing with at the moment will only "hamper" football development. Whats next? A "Champion's League" version for national teams every season?

Thats what a lot of English fans are calling for. Move away from FIFA and start a break away federation with the big sides. Fuck them DeathINC Singapore vs Northern Ireland is what international football is all about

[Bad Collin]

I don't know anyone that is calling for a breakaway group.

[son_of_foley]

I've heard a few. Since the FA suggested it or whatever it seems to have gone into peoples heads. It would be madness.

[Beefy]

I've not heard of this either. Most England fans are desperate to win the World Cup which is even less likely to happen outside of FIFA than in it.

[JIJ]

This whole episode has been a charade.

Chuck Blazer is as corrupt as anyone and he is Blatter's guy. All that's happened is Blatter managed to get rid of his main election rival, along with another loose cannon in Jack Warner. Why do you think Chuck Blazer "avoided" the sack?

[Slare]

Because he has an amazing name.

[Beefy]

http://newshaven.org/wp-content/plugins/wp-o-matic/cache/4cbe4_610x-1076.jpg

[_me]

just thought I would bump this with the news about them moving 2022 to winter like we all knew.

I am a newish fan to the sport so I don't have the history of most but could this be a moment to shake up the international system for good? Isn't it a shame that some of the best players in the world will never even sniff the WC cause they come from small countries?

I think it would be incredible to have a round robin all-star tournament made up of players of the big 5 or 6 (up to 8) leagues in the world. Imagine the EPL vs La Liga vs Serie A vs Bundesliga vs Ligue 1. Maybe throw in Brazil and Argentina and you would have an incredible tournament. It would be bigger than the champions league. Give half the money to the players and half to the league that wins to distribute to all teams.

EDIT: forgot to add, the tourney is held in the country of the last champion. games played at the existing stadiums. no new infrastructure; no rigged bidding; just a financial reward for winning.

[Bennedy]

That sounds like such an American idea.

Don't fix what isn't broken.

[JP]

Surely this should allow the other nations who were competing for the World Cup that year to legally challenge the vote as they weren't competing under fair rules?

[_me]

That sounds like such an American idea.

Don't fix what isn't broken.
if it is American to want the best vs the best, guilty as charged. you don't think the WC process is broken?

[_me]

Surely this should allow the other nations who were competing for the World Cup that year to legally challenge the vote as they weren't competing under fair rules?
australia has already said they are suing.

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/24122625

[_me]

i just can't see how they can move it like they claim. the TV broadcasters bid for a summer tournament and now they are doing it the winter on their own. I know FOX here is America is not happy. TV in America makes their money in Nov; they are not canceling their biggest shows to show a soccer game - especially NFL games. They bid on the expectation of having it as summer programming when there is no NFL or NBA.

the Big 5 european leagues make so much money; why would they ruin 1 or 2 of their seasons so FIFA can make money? They are going to have to start early and/or play later. Screws up the transfer windows and ruins any flow to the season not to mention more injuries since players will be playing without a break. And how do the national teams practice during the league seasons?

And what about champions league? They are still playing group games in Nov and Dec. This Winter 2022 things seems like it causes so many problems.

[son_of_foley]

just thought I would bump this with the news about them moving 2022 to winter like we all knew.

I am a newish fan to the sport so I don't have the history of most but could this be a moment to shake up the international system for good? Isn't it a shame that some of the best players in the world will never even sniff the WC cause they come from small countries?

I think it would be incredible to have a round robin all-star tournament made up of players of the big 5 or 6 (up to 8) leagues in the world. Imagine the EPL vs La Liga vs Serie A vs Bundesliga vs Ligue 1. Maybe throw in Brazil and Argentina and you would have an incredible tournament. It would be bigger than the champions league. Give half the money to the players and half to the league that wins to distribute to all teams.

EDIT: forgot to add, the tourney is held in the country of the last champion. games played at the existing stadiums. no new infrastructure; no rigged bidding; just a financial reward for winning.

the 2022 thing is a nightmare. All star teams loses a big thing about football. International football is the purest form of the game to me. No transfers. Matches not really about money etc. FIFA obviously raking in every fucking penny they can and being dicks takes the shine off but surely seeing someone like gibraltar playing international football must warm your cockles more than seeing Zlatan Ibrahimovic being a big old big nosed fucker?

Maybe it's just me.

Welcome to the football forum btw know you've posted a few bits here and there

[son_of_foley]

They should just give the fucking thing to Australia. Seriously.

[_me]

thanks son of foley. i've been reading the English thread on Saturday mornings but haven't pulled the trigger on posting much. it is always fun to find to smart fans to talk to. I have only been watching regularly for the last 3 years so my history is very minimal.

i love the concept of international teams (like you said, you can't just buy what you are missing); it just seems like they don't get to practice together so they get no rhythm together and the play tends to be patchy. from everything i read it seems like the WC has been different since 1990; money just became too big and the players would rather win the champions league than the WC now. and so many teams are fighting with their players about playing for their countries. so it seemed more practical to get the club teams financially involved.

[Gary J]

I wouldn't be against the idea of third place getting to host the next world cup if they are going to persist with having the 3rd place play-off.

As for getting club teams involved no need really eventually FIFA will find a way to make the World Club Cup idea actually work.

[son_of_foley]

I wouldn't be against the idea of third place getting to host the next world cup if they are going to persist with having the 3rd place play-off.

As for getting club teams involved no need really eventually FIFA will find a way to make the World Club Cup idea actually work.

Wonder if UEFA would ever consider inviting a south american team into the champions league.

I mean they could set up a temporary home in Spain/Portugal or whatever.

[_me]

Wonder if UEFA would ever consider inviting a south american team into the champions league.

I mean they could set up a temporary home in Spain/Portugal or whatever.
like Gary said. it seems like an expansion of Club World Cup could be what FIFA has in mind next so that could accomplish the same thing. Maybe winners and runner-ups to start? Isn't the problem with S. America the calendar/seasons? They play opposite time of the year, I thought?

[Bennedy]

By 2022 there will probably be a European Super League and a winter World Cup. Great times ahead.

[Grimario]

Bump.

So, lots of talk over the last 24 hours of the 2022 World Cup going to be re-voted after the "shocking revelations" (which I assume is media speak for "proof of the shit that everyone already knew about anyway") of the bribery and corruption shenanigans that got Qatar the gig.

Thoughts?

[_me]

They are shocked like Claude Raines was shocked in 'Casablanca'. But Qatar's money is too important to too many leagues/teams and FIFA doesn't admit they're wrong so I will guess nothing changes.

[Gary J]

Even if it does go to a revote Qatar will probably win again because the people changing their vote will be practically admitting they were guilty of taking a bribe in the first place.

Blatter never publicly backed the Qatar bid either so he'll probably spin it in a way so that he keeps his seat after the next election.

So can't see anything changing unless something pretty major comes out.

[Grimario]

If anything, I think it will go to a revote with the usual "we will make things more transparent" and empty FIFA promises to clean up corruption.

Then Qatar will win for the exact same reasons you have listed.

[Andy]

That's extremely unlikely because most of the people who (probably) voted for Qatar have either left or resigned.

[Beefy]

The voting process has changed. It used to be 20-odd delegates but I don't think that is the case any more. Should be less likely to be able to bribe but even less likely that the tournament will come back to England because everyone hates us. Eurovision-syndrome.

[El Capitano Gatisto]

It can't go to England, it's in Russia in 2018 so it will be outside of Europe in 2022 regardless.

[Andy]

It'll either be USA or Australia I'd imagine.

[Romford Pele]

Until the Swiss government do something (as that is where Fifa are based) they are untouchable.

The only way that will happen is if the big boys like the US put some pressure on the Swiss. Unlikely.

[Beefy]

It can't go to England, it's in Russia in 2018 so it will be outside of Europe in 2022 regardless.

I meant ever.

[Bad Collin]

So according to FIFA's report Qatar are not corrupt but the FA 'damaged FIFA's name'.

[Grimario]

Yeah, good result. England, USA and Australia all found to be in the wrong.

FIFA is a fucking farce.

[son_of_foley]

Even when it was the bears I knew it was the immigrants

[Bad Collin]

SOF, are you saying that FIFA aren't cunts?

[son_of_foley]

Nah fuck them and the horse they ride on. They're all dicks. Let's be honest though this FA stuff does look shady (im actually sure they all do this but still)

[El Capitano Gatisto]

What a mess. FIFA have out-FIFAed themselves.

[Rip]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/30037729

The Lawyer who performed the investigation states the report based on it is complete crap.

This is a complete farce.


In an unexpected twist, lawyer Michael Garcia says the report "contains numerous materially incomplete and erroneous representations of the facts and conclusions".

[Simon]

I think I prefered corruption when it wasn't being rubbed right in my stupid face. FIFA literally don't even give a shit any more, they've gone from "nah we're not doing anything wrong" to "yeah we are on the take, fuck you gonna do about it?"

[Beefy]

The FA were shady in their chasing of Warner but I do believe them when they say that they were the least shady of the bids. The entire lobbying process is essentially bribery and the FA never hid that they had Beckham & Prince William wining and dining delgates and had made promises of England friendlies and funding for youth football in exchange for promises of votes.

It is all so political and it is no surprise that the three countries that FIFA have ended up throwing under the bus are the three with the most vocal media.

[El Capitano Gatisto]

I think it's a little surprising they've done that. FIFA have essentially thrown their lot in with Russia and Qatar over the US, UK and Australia. On a purely commercial basis, the scope for development and marketing income seems overwhelmingly imbalanced in favour of the 3 criticised nations. They've obviously tried to make it look as if they went with the least corrupt option, as if we're all children, but probably assume they'll remain just as powerful and influential by pissing off these nations. It's a big gamble, particularly as it has backfired already.

I like the idea of FIFA taking the game to the world and going against big powers to spread the game around, but the way FIFA operate is now totally apposite to this in terms of the demands they make on the poor nations they take the competition to. The upshot of all of this is that they'll end up killing the World Cup sooner rather than later, all because of a insatiable need of a load of old men to line their golden pockets.

The commercial sponsors of the World Cup will now exert pressure on FIFA to reform I would guess, or at least to start bringing the World Cup cash cow to places with viable commercial audiences. Russian and Emirate oil money will only go as far as bribing FIFA delegates.

[JP]

What can actually be done about any of this?

Genuine question, because FIFA, Blatter and the entire network seem untouchable.

[Rip]

Nothing.

Who would be in a position to do anything?

I guess in theory the only organisation with the power would be the UN, but in reality there isn't anyone.

[Bad Collin]

The only way this can be cleaned up is if loads of FAs break away or vote for a new president.

[son_of_foley]

Think it's more likely to be sponsorship

[El Capitano Gatisto]

Yep it'll be sponsor-led pressure, there's already been rumblings of it that were put off for a while pending this investigation. The FBI have also shown an interest in looking at FIFA, which makes it less likely there will be a World Cup in the USA any time soon unless wholesale changes take place.

FIFA don't really seem to acknowledge or realise that the international game is at serious risk due to the Champions League. Or maybe they just don't care. Sepp Blatter is an old man, it's baffling why these old men seem intent on ceaselessly accumulating wealth when they don't have the lifespan to spend it. No one has the lifespan probably. So possibly they just want to ride the gravy train right to the end.

[RFF Champ]

The FA were shady in their chasing of Warner but I do believe them when they say that they were the least shady of the bids. The entire lobbying process is essentially bribery and the FA never hid that they had Beckham & Prince William wining and dining delgates and had made promises of England friendlies and funding for youth football in exchange for promises of votes.

It is all so political and it is no surprise that the three countries that FIFA have ended up throwing under the bus are the three with the most vocal media.

What does it say about Becks and Prince William that we only won 2 votes?

[Simon]

What does it say about Becks and Prince William that we only won 2 votes?

That it's absolutely terrifying that there are people in the world who can make the fame and riches associated with the world's most famous sportsman and the heir to the throne of the world's most famous royal family an irrelevance?

[El Capitano Gatisto]

They are an irrelevance. Would you really care to meet either of them? They're deeply uninteresting people.

[Simon]

They are an irrelevance. Would you really care to meet either of them? They're deeply uninteresting people.

Of course, but when you're a status-obsessed shitcunt at FIFA that sort of thing presumably matters, otherwise why would so many of the campaigns involve celebrities. But that pales into insignificance compared to the hundreds of thousands of pounds that other countries plough into their pockets. That's not to let England off btw, if they've tried to do the same thing but failed because they were shit at it, that doesn't make it any more acceptable.

P.S. I would definitely like to meet David Beckham.

[El Capitano Gatisto]

There's a couple of things about the FA's problem. The World Cup I think was always going to go somewhere "new" in the next decade or so because that's the way things have gone under Blatter. He has actively tried to spread the competition around the world and good on him for that, to an extent. Smaller nations have flourished under his FIFA regime in a way they might not have under someone beholden to the big European nations. Of course, he has done that also to solidify his power by securing the votes of those smaller associations, but it has had good side effects. So I think the England bid under Blatter's regime was always doomed.

We already know the process isn't completely "fair" when this agenda exists. However, the decision to award the hosting rights to Qatar is ludicrous simply because of the logistics involved. Australia seems like the no-brainer way to go and I think this is the problem people are having. That the process involves buttering up officials and sticking them in fancy hotels with nice prostitutes is no secret and the FA crying foul on it only after they've lost out shows a serious lack of self-awareness. If they wanted to make a point, they should have put in a fair bid, followed the rules and protested from a real position of moral superiority.

[El Capitano Gatisto]

Also, in regards to David Beckham, I don't think it's safe to presume at all that FIFA or other FA officials idealise footballers. It's more likely they have very little respect for them as people at all.

[Grimario]

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/may/27/several-top-fifa-officials-arrested

Shit's about to get interesting.

[Defrost]

ESPN reported earlier this month that the head of FIFA was afraid that if he ever set foot in America again the FBI would be waiting on the tarmac when his plane landed. Guess this is related.

[Kneeneighbor]

FIFA has already come out and said they will not re open the bids. This is going to be fun!

[Romford Pele]

Surely Blatter cant carry on now, even for him this is untenable?

[Ringo]

Trailer for the 90%-FIFA-funded film United Passions.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCjeD-Jqd2s

Superb.

[Fro]

America saving the world again

[Judas Iscariot]

It's just too bad so much of it has to do with CONCACAF, which shouldn't really come as a surprise, the cunts they are.

[Hero!]

America saving the world again

Best meme i've seen yet:

http://i.imgur.com/lXLPMqH.jpg

[Bad Collin]

Blatter's getting back in, what a fucking joke.

[MikeHunt]

How on earth is this possible?

[RuneEdge]

The other guy withdrew after the first round of votes heavily favored Blatter.

[MikeHunt]

Hopefully UEFA pull out of Fifa.

[Ringo]

Blatter's speech :lol:

Absolutely loved it.

[Romford Pele]

The world must now end as for once I agree with Mike Hunt.

[Bad Collin]

He's there until he dies

[Romford Pele]

Hopefully not long then.

Wonder who will go first, him or Mugabe?

UEFA should just do its own world cup.

[RuneEdge]

Maybe they could do it next year in France or something.

[_me]

Hopefully not long then.

Wonder who will go first, him or Mugabe?

UEFA should just do its own world cup.
especially if they got South America. I know South America is very corrupt too but a Europe/South America cup would be outstanding.

[MikeHunt]

Maybe they could do it next year in France or something.


Hahaha

[MikeHunt]

The world must now end as for once I agree with Mike Hunt.

I've changed my mind. My opinion must of been moronic.

[eldanielfire]

America saving the world again

Should have known they would get involved when you give World Cups to Russia and the Middle East.

[Bad Collin]

Now Blatter is going!

[BBF]

So we can expect some concrete evidence on Blatter within 10 days I'd say?

[MTR]

He must feel they have something on him at this point for him to step down after insisting on staying president last week.

[Ringo]

Woah.

[_me]

how long until Blatter takes a "vacation" to a non-extradiction country?

[JP]

How many people will have been killed building stadiums that will never be used?

[Ringo]

Seen it suggested that this was planned because now having been re-elected, he can push his own chosen successor to take over (as a new election has to be at least 4 months from now) rather than a week ago when Ali would have won. On the other hand, everyone thinks this press conference was very rushed and thrown together so perhaps not.

[turdpower]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/sportsnews/article-3107023/FIFA-say-former-finance-chief-Julio-Grondona-deceased-authorised-10m-payment-centre-FBI-investigation.html

[son_of_foley]

How many people will have been killed building stadiums that will never be used?

Whilst I know what you mean I done think their usage makes those deaths in any way less of a travesty

[Ringo]

John Delaney confirms that FIFA paid FAI €5 million in 2009 after the Thierry Henry handball so they wouldn't proceed with a legal case.

So there's that.

Meanwhile Jack Warner says he'll reveal a link between FIFA and the Trinidad & Tobago election, along with a bunch of great quotes like "not even death will stop the avalanche that is coming”.

[MTR]

Blazer has admitted to taking bribes for previous World Cup vote so yeah I think there is going to be a lot more things come out before this is all said and done.

[Judas Iscariot]

Cool so are we moving the World Cup to America now?

[MTR]

All future world cups should alternate between England and USA

[Hero!]

What else does Europe need while we're there? Mtn Dew? Pop-tarts? Chipotle?

[Romford Pele]

Hersheys.

[RFF Champ]

All future world cups should alternate between England and USA

Let us use Wales too. The millennium stadium is the best.

[Romford Pele]

Wembley
Emirates
Old Trafford
St James Park
Anfield
Villa Park
Hillsborough
Elland Road
Eastlands

And that isnt including Twickenham. We could host a WC tomorrow.

[Darkoke]

Pretty sure it's one stadium per city for hosting international tournaments for logistical reasons so you'd need to swap the Emirates for elsewhere.

[Ringo]

The original 2018 bid included Wembley, the Emirates and the Olympic stadium. At the Qatar World Cup, literally half the stadiums will be in Doha.

[MTR]

We have a date when we get rid of Blatter and have a new president.

[_me]

We have a date when we get rid of Blatter and have a new president.
In Feb!! Only takes 9 months for one vote…

What are the odds that somehow Blatter stays in power in Feb? It wouldn't shock me…

[MTR]

Swiss going after Blatter now. :)

[Reech]

Ah Blatter, admitting you were going to give it to Russia anyway. Gotta love you scrambling.