Chris Cummins
Staff Writer

The World Cup Hosting Bid for 2018 and 2022 is over.  Russia, a land of cold and autocratic political systems won the bid for 2018, while Qatar, a Middle Eastern country best known for its magnificently expensive city of Abu Dhabi, won the bid for 2022.  One of the more controversial components of the selections process was the fact that England, the country that created and structured soccer itself and home to one of the best leagues in the world was denied the chance to host on its home turf.  Many English fans and a large amount of the English media, understandably enough, criticized the decision as corrupt and illogical and highlighted the fact that two selections members had been caught giving their assurances that they would be amenable to a bribe during the selections process.

Regardless of the moral standing of the members of the committee, the real motive behind the move seems to be fairly self-explanatory. Russia and Qatar do not immediately come to mind when discussing countries with large populations who are interested in soccer, and their selection seems to indicate the efforts of FIFA to expand the global reach of soccer in recent years.  While the anger of the English, with their admittedly excellent presentation, stellar facilities, and centuries old tradition may seem justified, England’s presentation seems to have just taken place at the wrong place at the wrong time, despite the anger of the fans of the old Three Lions.

To learn more about the aftermath of the selections process, go to: http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/russia2018/news/newsid=1345551/index.html