Why the USA Should Get the 2022 World Cup

Soccer may not be a pastime in the United States of America like baseball or football, but as the game's popularity continues to grow in the country, it is clear that the Land of Opportunity deserves to host a World Cup.

With uncertainty surrounding the 2022 World Cup in Qatar due to alleged corruption within the FIFA ranks, the United States has an opportunity to stabilize a sport that is currently mired in controversy.

Here's why the U.S. is a perfect fit for soccer's greatest spectacle.

Growth of the Game

Soccer will likely always be viewed as a game that is buoyed largely by Europe and South America, but there is no question that the United States has established itself as a soccer-loving country in recent years.

That became abundantly clear during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil as television ratings went through the roof.

According to Christina Settimi of Forbes.com, a combined 24.7 million viewers watched Team USA's draw against Portugal last year on ESPN and Univision, which was nearly 10 million more than the average viewership for an NBA Finals or World Series game.

In addition to that, Major League Soccer will reach new heights by virtue of new television deals with ESPN, Fox and Univision that will run through 2022. The average annual value of the pacts is expected to be $90 million, which is five times more valuable than MLS' current contract, per John Ourand and Christopher Botta of SportsBusinessDaily.com.

Add in the fact that MLS attendance is up more than 11 percent this season when compared to 2014 as of May 26, per WorldSoccerTalk.com, and it is obvious that there is greater demand for soccer in the United States than ever before.

History of World Cup Success

Bleacher Report

The USA staged the 1994 FIFA World Cup, which was significant in helping the sport go from an afterthought to a money-making enterprise in one of the world's top economies.

Although the marks have since been broken, the United States set World Cup attendance records in 1994 as a total of 3,587,538 fans witnessed the event live, and an average of 68,991 spectators were present on a per-match basis, according to USSoccer.com.

While Team USA hasn't quite reached the level of the elite sides in international soccer, its worth is obvious. The Americans have advanced to the round of 16 in each of the past two World Cups and in three of the last four.

That includes a trip to the quarterfinals in 2002, which represented their best performance since reaching the semifinals in 1930.

The World Cup is always better when the host nation has a chance to go on a deep run, and the United States would be in such a position should it get the chance to host.

Infrastructure in Place

Rodrigo Abd/Associated Press

One of the main points of contention for any World Cup bid is the country's ability to establish proper infrastructure in time for the event.

That has proven troublesome for Qatar as its World Cup working conditions have been called into question, but that wouldn't be an issue for the U.S.

While some preparation would be required, the USA has no shortage of venues in place due to the emergence of the MLS as well as the popularity other sports.

According to Goal.com, the United States mentioned 18 potential host cities in its initial 2022 World Cup bid, including Atlanta, San Diego, Phoenix, Dallas, Seattle, Denver, Indianapolis, Baltimore, Houston, Miami, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Washington, Boston, New York; Tampa, Florida; Nashville, Tennessee and Kansas City, Missouri.

Soccer-crazy markets like Seattle (CenturyLink Field), New York (MetLife Stadium) and Los Angeles (Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum or Pasadena, California's Rose Bowl) stand out as great options, but the coup de grace would be AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

The Dallas Cowboys' state-of-the-art stadium has a capacity that can exceed 100,000 fans, and it would be the perfect place to showcase the very best that soccer has to offer.

The United States has worked to build its soccer brand through MLS by signing major international names and harboring more interest through greater television exposure. Combined with a sports-crazy culture, the United States presents a perfect situation to be a World Cup host in 2022 and beyond.