Russia won the right to put on the 2018 World Cup and Qatar will stage the 2022 finals, both first-time hosts, FIFA president Sepp Blatter said on Thursday. FIFA's executive committee voted for the two winning bids after a fierce lobbying campaign which saw world political leaders and top sports personalities gather in Zurich to press their case for one of the most prestigious and lucrative prizes in global sport.
Russia was granted the 2018 finals, beating the challenge of three other European bidders, England and the joint bids of Netherlands/Belgium and Spain/Portugal.
Qatar took the honours for 2022 over rivals Australia, Japan, South Korea and the United States.
Blatter said: "We go to new lands. Never has the World Cup been in Russia and Eastern Europe, and the Middle East and Arabic world have been waiting for a long time so I'm a happy president when we talk about the development of football."
Russia deputy prime minister Igor Shuvalov, whose delegation whooped with delight on the announcement, said: "You have entrusted us with the FIFA World Cup for 2018 and I just can promise, we all can promise, you will never regret it. Let us make history together."
Qatar bid chief Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al-Thani told the FIFA executive: "Thank you for backing us and expanding the game. You will be proud of us and you will be proud of the Middle East"
The voting process took place against a highly charged background after British media outlets made allegations of corruption against a number of FIFA's executive committee members.
The executive committee, reduced to 22 after two were suspended over the allegations, voted in secret. No details of the counts were made available by FIFA but bid member Gary Lineker told Reuters that England had gone out in the first round of voting for 2018.
It was the first time FIFA had carried out a vote for two World Cup finals at the same time.
MONEY NO OBJECT FOR QATAR
Summer temperatures which can soar to above 50 degrees Celsius and a concern about lack of infrastructure did not deter FIFA from awarding the World Cup to Qatar.
FIFA were likely to have been swayed by the tiny Gulf state’s hefty financial prowess with money no object for the world's largest exporter of liquefied natural gas.
The country's economy, forecast to grow by 15.5% this year, is expected to soar by a staggering 21% in 2011, allowing Qatar to pour as much cash as necessary into preparations for 2022.
It is likely to spare no expense in constructing stadiums for the event. The ultra-modern Lusail Stadium, which has yet to be built, will host the opening and final matches.
With a capacity of 86,000 and surrounded by water, it will take four years to build and is expected to be completed by 2019.
CONSTRUCTION SITE
The total cost of new construction and renovation is estimated at $3 bln. It submitted a budget of $645.5 mln to run the Confederations Cup in 2021 and the World Cup the following year.
Still, much remains to be done, and many wonder whether even 12 years will be enough. The country is still being built, with much of the capital city Doha resembling a construction site.
Over the next five years, the country will build a $25 bln rail network, an $11 bln new airport, a $5.5 bln new deep water seaport and a $1 bln crossing to link the new airport with mega-projects in the northern part of the capital, Doha. It will also spend $20 bln on new roads.
Plans are in place to complete a metro system connecting each stadium by 2017 with venues no more than one hour apart from each other.
Although Qatar has been eager to display a liberal and welcoming image to inspectors and media during recent months, the sale of alcohol and the possibility of rowdy behaviour from World Cup fans are likely to be a significant hurdle in an Islamic country where public drunkenness is prohibited.
Bid representatives have said alcohol will be allowed in designated areas throughout the tournament.
Although the tournament is played during the two hottest months of the year, bid organisers said the heat would not be an issue thanks to climate-controlled, zero-carbon-emitting stadiums.
The country has harnessed solar-powered technology to cool stadiums to about 27 Celsius.
The stadiums would also be partly dismantled after the finals, with the extra seating shipped to developing nations who could reconstruct them as smaller stadiums for their own use, a plus for developing football globally, bid organisers said.
