In a mild upset, tiny but oil-rich Qatar was awarded the 2022 FIFA World Cup only a few minutes after Russia was awarded the 2018 bid in a process that was decided by a vote of FIFA’s 22-member executive committee today in Zurich.
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The Go Houston Bid Committee held a private viewing breakfast at the George R. Brown so top city and county leaders could watch the announcement’s broadcast together with some of Houston’s top soccer officials and backers.
“There’s 17 other U.S. cities that are as disappointed as we are,” said Robert Dale Morgan of the Houston Bid Committee. “I think the U.S. bid committee did an outstanding job. Whenever you bid on something of this magnitude you know the competition is going to be stiff.”
Harris County Judge Ed Emmett and District I councilman James Rodriguez, two supporters of the city and county’s decision to help the Dynamo build their new stadium on the East End, attended the viewing party.
Both were visibly dejected.
“I’m disappointed that the U.S. will not host the 2022 FIFA World Cup,” Rodriguez said. “Our country would have put on an amazing World Cup. Many thanks to our local World Cup Bid Committee for all of their efforts.”
Emmett, whose children played soccer growing up, vows to continue to help further soccer’s growth in Harris County.
“It’s a major disappointment because I thought the U.S. bid was very strong,” Emmett said. “And locally it would have really benefited us a great deal. The soccer community is ready for it. By 2022, just think about that, that’s 12 years from now and how much more soccer we would have going on in this community. Now I think all we can do is accept the decision, take the energy that we have for soccer here locally and channel it.”
Qatar is apparently going to spend a ton of money on stadia and infrastructure, including solar-powered air conditioners to battle the 120 degree summer heat. I wish them the best of luck. In the meantime, it may be awhile before the US gets another shot at this.
China is already tabbed as the front-runner to host in 2026, and the tournament would be expected back in Europe for 2030. There is no timeline for those decisions.
That’s a little too far into the future for me. Anyone know where the post-2011 Women’s World Cup events will be? I couldn’t find an answer via Google.
China is not allowed to bid for 2026 since Qatar is in the same region as they are. It will be us vs Europe in 2026.
“mild upset”?!
A country of 4,000 sq miles and population of 1.7M (I wonder if that includes indentured servants from the Phillipines?) beats the USA. David slays Goliath!
I hope Qatar succeeds beyond our wildest imagination, but personally I think it will not be a fan favorite location to visit due to exorbinant costs, tough logistics and frankly lack of variety. Thats a lot of stadiums in a small area…40 miles x 100 miles. Imagine the USA in 1994 when they hosted having all there games between the Woodlands and Galveston.
Conspricary theory: hmmm, oil rich country handily beats two other solid bids (USA, Australia) in Zurich? I wonder if any money exchanged hands with the FIFA voting members. If so, I suppose they could conveniently just walk across the street and deposit the $$$ in their Swiss bank account.
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