How the 2018/2022 FIFA World Cup Bids Stack Up

A user on BigSoccer by the name of comme asked users to rate the bids from the countries that will be making a push for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups. I figured this was worthy of a column.

I am going to rate the country's bids on a ten-point scale based on these criteria:

Stadia (Both existing and those they have committed to build)

Infrastructure ( Accommodation and transport)

History (How long ago did they recently have the tournament and how deserving are they of it now)

Impact (What effect will the tournament have on football in the country)

Geography (How easy would it be to get around at the tournament)

Climate (Where will the most conducive temperatures and altitude be found for high quality football)

Economic readiness (How capable are the hosts of providing the facilities)

Safety

Shall we begin? I want to also note that Mexico will not be graded, since they pulled out. Let's start with...

Australia

Stadia 9

Historically, Australia has been known to have stadiums fit for Aussie Rules, rugby and cricket. And that's just about it. However, these pitches can be used for footballing purposes.

Notable stadia that can host World Cup finals games include Etihad Stadium in Melbourne (with the Swan Street Rectangular Stadium and Olympic Park as solid training grounds), Stadium Australia (which can host the final) and Sydney Football Stadium in Sydney, the Adelaide Oval , Parramatta Stadium, Townsville's Dairy Farmers Stadium the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium, EnergyAustralia Stadium in Newcastle and Bluetoungue Stadium in Gosford.

Of course, this has to sit well with the Australian Football League and National Rugby League. More on that below.

Infrastructure 9

Having already hosted the 2000 Summer Olympics, a number of Commonwealth Games and other sporting events in different codes, Australia already has a solid infrastructure for player accommodations and transportation. It is not as developed as Western Europe, but it can hold its own to host a FIFA World Cup.

History 8

Australia has a solid football tradition, forged primarily by those who immigrated from Europe and brought the game over to the Antipodes. This country has never hosted a FIFA World Cup. But with the recent success of qualifying for the 2006 and 2010 World Cups, combined with the impact they have made as a member of the Asian Football Conferederation, it can be argued that the time could not be any more better.

Impact 10

Hosting the FIFA World Cup would leave a lasting impact on football in Australia. More players will develop an interest for the sport. It will strengthen the national teams and local/state programs that focus on soccer. And the indelible mark it will lay will affirm that this code has as much a relevance as those that have been more settled.

Geography 7.5

This could be a weakness for Australia. Hosting a match in Perth could be a problem if it will throw its name in the hat. And Australia's cities are spread out around the coast. In terms of getting around at the tournament, that's a different story. Cities that should host matches are Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Adelaide, Newcastle, Gosford, Perth, Wollongong, Townsville, Geelong and Canberra.

Climate 9

For best results, the FIFA World Cup has to take place after the AFL Grand Final and the NRL Grand Final. Look for the FIFA World Cup to take place in October-November of either year. It's going to be warm, yes, but it won't be as bad as it would be if it was held in December, or when the NRL and AFL are going through their campaigns. Expect temperatures in the 70's to 80's Fahrenheit (20's Celsius) in the host cities.

If the NRL and AFL decide to relent and push their season ahead of schedule, then a good deal of the matches would take place in September, the same month that the 2000 Summer Olympics were held.

Economic Readiness 10

Australia, economically, is recovering from this current recession, and would rebound in time to host the FIFA World Cup. Big strength.

Safety 10

Australia would be one of the safest countries to host a FIFA World Cup, and is low-risk. This is a major strength that would benefit the players and fans and others overseeing this event.

Overall Score: 72.5

If FIFA awards a World Cup Finals to Australia, it would be a safe decision. It may not be perfect due to geography, but let's make this clear: when it comes to hosting a sporting event, you can leave it to Oz.

England

Stadia 10

Hmmm...aside from Wembley (which will host the opening game and the final), which stadiums will be chosen?

Hmmm. Let's see.

There's the City of Manchester Stadium and Old Trafford. There's Birmingham's Villa Park. There's Pride Park in Derby and KC in Hull, Leeds' Elland Road and Leicester's Walkers Stadium. There's St. James' Park in Newcastle, Sunderland's Stadium of Light, stadium:mk in Milton Keynes (ugh), the Sheffield trio of Hillborough, Don Valley and Bramall Lane, and the proposed stadia from Plymouth and Nottingham.

Did I mention London's Olympic Stadium joining into the discussion?

Sigh. So many stadiums, so short a list. The bloody Brits got it made here.

Did you hear that? That was the sound of a white elephant saying "Cheerie-oh" in Stratford.

Infrastructure 9.5

"Riding on the coattails of the London 2012 Olympics, England throws another large party with the FIFA World Cup..."

It's only the close of 2009, and one can sense this headline in the papers about a decade from now. England has a solid infrastructure to host a FIFA world Cup.

History 10

The Three Lions...them bellies are starving. See, they haven't been fed a World Cup Finals since good ol' Alf Ramsey and de dog days of '66, when Sir Bobby Charlton brought home Ye Auld Jules Rimet Trophee.

Yep. It's been a while. More than four decades, to be exact. And England-the creators of the code (Ebenezer Cobb Morley, bless his soul) would love to bring the World Cup Finals back to the mother of the Home Countries.

If you know your usual suspects in the Premier League (i.e. the Man Uniteds, Chelsea, Liverpools, Arsenals, Aston Villas, Evertons and Spurs of the world), then you know the basics of England's successful club history in a nutshell.

Impact 8

It would be a huge impact, yes, for England to host the World Cup Finals once again. But can't the other countries get a chance at this too? The Premier League is footing the bill already, you know.

Geography 10

Rail system will need to get up to speed, but with all the stadiums concentrated, it's seamless, straightforward, no-nonsense geography. Count the cities of London, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Briston, Derby, Hull, Leeds, Leicester, Milton Keynes, Newcastle, Nottingham, Plymouth, Sheffield and Sunderland as host city candidates.

Climate 9

Average maximum temperatures will be in the 50's to upper 60's Fahrenheit (11-20 degrees Celsius). It's great football weather if the Finals are held in May-June, after the Premier League season.

Economic readiness 7

Ouch. Here's a huge weakness right here. The financial crisis has hit England like a freight train at midnight. Add the Olympics to the mix, and if England can't get it together...I leave to you to figure out the consequences. But things can change, so we'll just have to wait and see.

Safety 8

England has been a possible terrorist target. No one can forget the London underground rail bombings that occurred after London had won the 2012 Olympics. But it should be otherwise safe.

Overall Score: 71.5

The economic readiness and safety are two Achilles Heels that could damage England's bid to host a FIFA World Cup Finals. But one should gawk at the numerous football cathedrals that the bloody Brits have in place when they are given the nod by Sepp Blatter's crew.

Indonesia

Stadia 4

You have to wonder why underdog bids like Indonesia even bother to bid for a FIFA World Cup (in this case, the 2022 edition) when they have only one World-Cup standard stadium in Jakarta's Bung Karno. Hello? This is NOT 1930, all right? Having just one stadium will already end any hopes of you progressing.

All right, they do have some stadia in Palaran in Samarinda, Palembang's Gelora Sriwihjaya Stadium, the Lagaligo Stadium in Palopo, and a slew of white elep-er, new stadia being constructed. The biggest of this bunch are Pekanbaru's Rumbai Stadium and the Gedebage Stadium in Bandung

But let's tarry on here.

Infrastructure 4

If there is even any infrastructure from Indonesia worthy of being considered World Cup capable, let me know. I will say that you have been ingesting the wrong drug.

Wait a minute. You mean there is? Ah, I see. Indonesia hosted the 2007 AFC Asian Cup Final. Ahh. And the 2011 Southeast Asian Games could be used as a tune-up? Hmmm...All right. Extra points for that.

History 8

Like Australia, Indonesia have never hosted a FIFA World Cup. This would be a first for them, and the fanatics who lap up the Premier League will embrace it.

Impact 8

For Indonesia, it will be an immense source of pride to be the only Southeast Asian country (and just the third in all of Asia) to have hosted a FIFA World Cup finals. And among the teams in ASEAN, the Socceroos may be witnessing a bad moon rising in the form of the Garudas.

Geography 3

Welcome all you island hoppers. Please do not mind the typhoon dropping sheets of rain, it's just Mother Nature taking her seat in the clouds.

Cities that will get their chance include Jakarta (the Bung Karno should host the opening and final), Samarinda, Pelemband, Palopo, Soreang, Sleman, Pekanbaru, Bandung, Surabaya, Tenggarong, North Jakarta, Bogor, Tangerang, Medan, and Gianyar.

Climate 4

Prepare for some hot and sticky football on the way. We're talking 70% to 90% humidity combine with high temperatures in the 20's and 30's Centigrade and the possibility of typhoons. Have fun clashing with two opponents, finalists: the other team AND the elements!

Economic readiness 2

Another reason why Indonesia faces long odds: it's a developing country for goodness sakes! Brazil's got it made when comparing their economy to Indonesia (aside from their role as a giant in the footballing world).

Safety 1

Welcome to a terrorist haven, FIFA World Cup Finalists. Don't mind the explosion just miles ahead; it's just a demonstration on what to do if you ARE within an explosion site.

Overall score: 34

Outlook? Bleak.

Japan

Stadia: 10

Japan already was successful in hosting a World Cup with Korea in 2002, so they thought, "Hey, why don't we host another ourselves-without Korea's help?"

Like England, Japan already has some stadiums in place, and not a lot of construction is needed here.

There's the Yokohama International Stadium, Saitama Stadium, Kobe Universiade Memorial, the National Olympic Stadium, Hiroshima Big Arch, Nagai Stadium, Ajinomoto Stadium in Tokyo, the Sapporo Dome, Toyota Stadium in Toyota City and Oita Stadium, among others. There are fifteen cities with stadiums of at least 34,000 for football.

Infrastructure 6

This could be an issue. The infrastructure was one of the reasons why Tokyo lost the 2016 Summer Olympic Games bid to Rio de Janeiro (although it has been argues that there are other reasons to go with this, such as geography and history). It's an expensive infrastructure we're talking here.

Because of the demise of Tokyo's bid, Japan's chance of hosting a FIFA World Cup Finals took a hit, so implied Japan Football Association Vice-PResiddnt Junji Ogura. But that's not the only reason why this bid could fail. See impact

History 8

Football is a popular sport in Japan, and has been played in the Land of Rising Sun since the Meiji period. Japan has competed in Olympic Soccer as far back as the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

Impact 3

The real reason why this could sink: They last had the tournament in 2002. Newsflash, Japan: Tt's way too soon for you to host a FIFA World Cup. Besides, don't you have a Rugby world Cup to prepare for in 2019?

A-ha.

Now, that's a different story.

Geography 8

Japan is easy enough to get around...if you can afford it. Aside from Tokyo and Yokohama, Saitama, Kobe, Hiroshima, Osaka, Fukuoka, Rifu, Toyota City, Oita, Sapporo, Niigata, Kashima and Kobe are potential World Cup host cities.

Climate 5

The summer humidity can work against Japan's bid. The FIFA World Cup will likely be held in late May to June, just like 2002.

Economic readiness 9

Never underestimate the resilience that is the Japanese economy. Japan is economically ready to rebound in time to host a successful FIFA World Cup Final.

Safety 10

Big strength, just like Australia. Not a terrorist target, and low-risk.

Overall score: 59

Japan is trying to big for a FIFA World Cup Finals too early, and the infrastructure isn't helping make things any better for this bid.

Qatar

Stadia 2

This is an underdog bid, just like Indonesia. The only major stadium in Qatar is the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, with a capacity of 50,000. All the other stadia have a average seating capacity of no more than 20,625. The chairman of the bid committee, Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, has a decision to make: create new stadiums, or increase the seating. Given that Qatar is a oil-rich state, one can only speculate how he will do this. One thing is for certain: the stadiums will not be ovens. More on that later.

Infrastructure 5

It's a small country. Too small. The issue here is Qatar's readiness for the large swaths of humanity that will descend upon Doha, Al Khor, Al Wakrah and Ar Rayyan.

History 8

Here's a strength for Qatar's bid. Their footballing history goes back to 1948, when oil workers living in Qatar first kicked the leather bladder around. Today, over 6,500 professional footballers play in Qatar, making it the country's most popular sport.

Impact 6

It will be a huge victory for the development of the game in the Middle East. But after that, not really much worth noting.

Geography 10

Biggest strength: it's a small country! You can literally wander from venue to venue in a day. That is if you can stand the heat, and familiarize yourself with commuting by air-conditioned vehicle.

Only four major cities with stadiums: Doha, Ar Rayyan, Al Khor and Al Wakrah. That's it. Simple. Easy. The End. For this part, that is.

Climate 1

The bid's first major downfall: it's friggin' HOT! El Scorcho, how do you do! The players have to deal with the desert heat and plenty of fluids to go around. Sure, Sheikh Mohammed says that they will make the stadiums temperature-controlled, but how is that going to really make any difference? Seriously.

Economic readiness 7

Those petroleum dollars better roll in fast for the sheiks, because they will make or break this bid in terms of economic readiness.

Safety 4

Factors that weigh into this score. In spite of its solid safety records:

1. Qatar is still in the Middle East. That means they are close to some tough war zones (i.e. Iraq).

2. It will be interesting to see if Qatar can tolerate the skinship that will come from those countries who note only are used to it, but encourage it.

Overall score: 43

The climate issue, the lack of big stadiums, and a potential underestimation of the swaths of free-world humanity descending upon Qatar could break this bid into pieces.

Russia

Stadia 7

It all begins with Moscow. The Luzhniki should make for a perfect opening game and final, while the Dynamo Stadium can set the stage for a solid third-place game. The problem here is that the Dynamo seats only 36,540. And there are just 16 stadiums in all of Russia with at least 20,000 seats. This means that some expanding of current/creation of new stadia will be necessary to host a FIFA World Cup. Already plans have been implemented for World Cup-ready stadiums in Sochi, Yekaterinburg, Kazan and Moscow.

Infrastructure 5

Tourists to Russia will be in for a headache, because transportation is not well-developed, aside from Moscow and St. Petersburg.

History 9

Football in Russia has had a rich history. The Soviet Union's football teams won gold medals at the 1956 and 1988 Olympics, to go with a 1960 European Championship and a fourth-place finish in the 1966 FIFA World Cup in England.

Impact 8

A FIFA World Cup Finals would be the icing on the cake of this football-crazy country.

Geography 5

Achilles heel alert.

Russia's a big country. And having the cities spread far apart is a bad idea. For this bid to be successful, host cities will be spread across eastern Russia. Fourteen cities that will be in the running are Moscow, St. Petersburg, Sochi, Yekaterinburg, Kaliningrad, Podolsk, Rostov-on-Don, Krasnodar, Yaroslavl, Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Saransk, Samara, and Volgograd.

Climate 6

A continental climate means that the FIFA World Cup will have to be held in April to May, where temperatures range in the 70's to 80's Fahrenheit (25-30 degrees Celsius).

Economic readiness 7

Not even the likes of Roman Abramovich will be able to sustain a FIFA World Cup Finals of this magnitude. Then again, it's not like he is going to foot the bill, but the point is Russia's economy is not as strong.

Safety 4

Russia is a high-risk destination for FIFA World Cup. This could be problematic.

Overall score: 51

More stadiums are needed. The destinations have to be more concentrated. And for the love of Catherine the Great, please crank up the safety!

South Korea

Stadia 9

South Korea will focus their bid on the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Why build new stadiums, when you can use the ones from the 2002 edition? The Seoul Olympic Stadium holds the largest seating capacity, with a capacity of 69,841. There are 12 stadiums with more that 40,000 seats, spanning 11 cities. Whether or not expansion will be necessary has yet to be determined.

Infrastructure 7

Like Japan, South Korea's bid suffers from an expensive infrastructure. But it is nonetheless a solid framework.

History 8

South Korea's football history goes back to 1882, when the citizens of Incheon were introduced to the game by British sailors. The Korea Football Association, established 1928, witnessed its national team reap major success in the 2002 FIFA World Cup, earning a fourth-place finish under Taeguk Warriors manager Guus Hiddink. A football stadium in Gwangju is named in his honor.

Impact 3

And just like Japan South Korea's bid also suffers from bidding for a World Cup too soon after they hosted one. Even though they will bid for 2022, twenty years is not too long of a gap.

Geography 8

There's a lot of similarities between the Japan and South Korea bids that I might as well give the same score. Maybe this is what happens when you are the first nation to have co-hosted a FIFA World Cup.

In any case, easy to get around, but only if you're a well-to-do football fan. Your list of potential host cities: Seoul, Daegu, Busan, Incheon, Ulsan, Gwangju, Jeonju, Suwon, Seogwipo, Goyang and Daejon.

Climate 6

Again, like Japan it can get hot and humid in the summer. But it's not as bad, so I'll give South Korea one extra point. Expect average temperatures in the lower to mid-20's Celsius in July.

Economic readiness 8

I think South Korea can bounce back in time to successfully pull off a FIFA 2022 World Cup, but they will face heavy odds against their competition. But if they were able to do it in 2002, 2022 should be a piece of cake...right?

Safety 9

South Korea is low-risk...unless you take into consideration North Korea. But they are like the Millennium Bug: Will they really pose a threat to the safety of those taking part? With the way things are going up there...it doesn't look that way.

Overall score: 58

South Korea, like Japan, has the same issue of bidding for a FIFA World Cup too early after they already co-hosted one.

United States

Stadia 10

You want stadiums? We got 'em! You want seats? We have 'em! You need training pitches and all the fixins? Yeah, we got those too.

The USA's bid is loaded with stadiums just waiting to get in line for the fun. Eventually, out of 70 potential stadia, 32 stadiums in 23 cities were candidate venues. Just about all of them are American football stadium, with Cowboys Stadium able to seat up to 110,000. The smallest of the 32 is RFK Stadium, and it houses 45,600.

Let's not forget that soccer-specific stadiums like the Home Depot Center, Dick's Sporting Goods Park, Pizza Hut Park in Houston and Columbus Crew Stadium will make for some solid training camps for a number of teams that make the Finals.

I wish I had to potential to add one extra point for seating capacity. But this ten will be the biggest of the tens I will give this bid.

All that needs to be sorted out is who will host what.

Infrastructure 9

There is solid accommodations for players, coaches and media. Hey, this is the USA. If you need a team hotel free of distractions, you got it. I also mentioned that there are a number of places for training before they head out into the battlefield. Take your pick, finalists.

History 8

The USA's best finish at a FIFA World Cup was third place-in Uruguay 1930. They were tied for third with the former Yugoslavia (now Serbia when taking into regard the true descendant of the team). The history of soccer in the States goes back before the Football Association was established: 1862, when the Oneida Football Club of Boston was founded.

The United States Soccer Federation was founded in 1913, and its women's national team ranks among the world's best, if not the #1 ranking for many a month. The men's side tasted success since their 1-0 victory over England in the 1950 World Cup by qualifying for the first of six straight World Cups and counting in 1990. During this stretch, their best finish was a quarterfinal appearance in 2002, losing to tournament runners-up Germany.

Impact 5

Here is a weakness of the U.S. bid. There will not be as much an impact on this World Cup as it was with the 1994 World Cup. It's not as soon as Japan and Korea's bids, but it's recent enough to not have as strong an impact.

Geography 9

Enough room to go around. It's a big country, the Lower 48. And there are 27 cities that can host a game or two. You have Los Angeles, Chicago, Pasadena, Ann Arbor, Arlington, Dallas, Landover, East Rutherford, Kansas City, Jacksonville, Denver, Miami Gardens, Charlotte, Cleveland, Seattle, Foxborough, Houston, Atlanta, Baltimore, Glendale (AZ), San Diego, Nashville, St. Louis, Philadelphia, Detroit, Tampa, Orlando, Indianapolis, Oakland, Palo Alto, and Washington D.C.

An exhaustive list. Take your pick.

Climate 7

The climate will be warm to scorching hot. Blame the polar jet stream and the low pressure systems. Otherwise, great football weather. Spread the love.

Economic readiness 8

There should be a score here for "economic willingness," but assuming that this financial crisis passes soon enough to put America back at work, they have the resources to pull off their best World Cup since 1994, maybe even better than 1994.

Safety 8

This place can be troublesome as a terrorist target. Thank Congress (and that hawk from Texas known as George W. Bush) for the Department of Homeland Security to ensure that any snags are snuffed and squashed.

Overall Score: 64

The question beckons for an otherwise solid USA bid: what will the lasting impact be of hosting a FIFA World Cup Finals just years removed from the 1994 edition?

Belgium/Netherlands

Stadia 7

So Japan and Korea were able to pull off a joint bid. Enter Belgium and the Netherlands, who decided that "if East Asia can do it, the Benelux can!"

Not exactly large stadiums from this bid, but there are notables in Brussels' King Baudouin Stadium (which can be expanded and renovated), de Kuip in Rotterdam (with a new version currently being designed), the Amsterdam ArenA, Liege's Stade Maurice Dufrasne, and Eindhoven's Philips Stadion.

Belgium will have four stadiums with at least 40,000 along with the 60,000-seater in Brussels. Eindhoven will function as the "capital city" of the World Cup. If this means that they will host the final of this tournament, the Philips Stadium could use a big increase in seats.

Infrastructure 10

The Benelux region has one of the best transportation systems among these bids. Also, Belgium and the Netherlands have solid hotel accommodations. This is the bid's biggest strength, along with geography.

History 9

The Benelux region has a solid football history. The Dutch are especially known for their solid national side, the Oranje (Orange). The Netherlands finished second at the 1974 and 1978 FIFA World Cups to go with winning Euro 1988 and a third-place finish at Euro 1976.

Like their neighbors to the North, Belgium is recognized for its footballing depth. However, the Red Devils (as the national team is called) has not qualified for the World Cup since a string of six consecutive appearances dating from 1982 up to 2002.

Impact 8

With football already strong in this region, hosting the FIFA World Cup will be another feather in the hats of both hosting associations.

Geography 10

The Benelux region is known for having commuters go from point A to point B by bicycle. Could there be a Tour de FIFA World Cup 2018/2022 in the works?

Cities in the Netherlands that will be hosting matches are Amsterdam, Eindhoven, Enschede, Heerenveen and Rotterdam. Belgian host cities include Antwerp, Bruges, Brussels, Charleroi Genk, Ghent and Liege.

Climate 9

A maritime climate means great football weather for a FIFA World Cup in this region. Expect average temperatures ranging between 10 to 22 degrees Celsius (60's to 70's Fahrenheit).

Economic readiness 9

The economic situation has not been a problem in Belgium or the Netherlands, so these two nations are more than ready to host a FIFA World Cup Finals.

Safety 9

Very safe, low-risk region. But since it's in Europe, the security will be wary of any terrorist dangers that could arise.

Overall score: 71

This is a solid joint bid, should FIFA decide to do it again. But Sepp Blatter has reiterated that joint bids will be deemphasized in favor of single-nation bids. Also, the stadium issue will need to be sorted out. These two countries can do it.

Portugal/Spain

Stadia 10

It's a straightforward thing: have the final at the renovated Camp Nou in Barcelona and the third-place match at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon. Twenty Spanish cities and three Portuguese cities will be doing the business. While this is a non-issue, Spain can host this by itself, having the lion's share of the stadium. More on that in history.

Infrastructure 9.5

Like the Benelux region, this is a solid joint bid blessed with an even more solid infrastructure. We're talking great transportation and excellent accommodations. Iberia's got it down pat.

History 9

The Iberian peninsula lives, breathes and sleeps football.

Spain previously hosted the FIFA World Cup in 1982, were European Champions in 1964 and won again in 2008. A country with a proud footballing history, Spain boasts two highly-decorated clubs in Real Madrid & FC Barcelona among a slew of talented teams in La Liga.

Portugal previously hosted Euro 2004 (where they finished runners-up to Greece), and have finished third at the 1966 World Cup and fourth at the 2006 World Cup.

Impact 7

Spain already hosted a World Cup, but it may be a tad bit too soon. Portugal is going to gain more from this bid, as they have not hosted a FIFA World Cup. They will get their chance as part of the joint bid.

Geography 9.5

Easy to get around, with 23 candidate host cities on one heck of a footballing region. Lisbon, Porto and Braga will be the host cities in Portugal. As for Spain, it's a bit of an interesting question. Madrid, Barcelona, Sevilla and Valencia are shoe-ins (with Barcelona hosting the final before 100,000 at the Camp Nou), but which four out of the remaining 15 cities will get the nod?

Those cities are A Coruña, Alicante, Badajoz, Bilbao, Elche, Gijon, Malaga, Murcia, Oviedo, Salamanca, San Sebastian, Santander, Valladolid, Vigo and Zaragoza.

Climate 9

Great football weather, but it will be a bit warm. Expect temperatures in the 20's Celsius (63-95 degrees Fahrenheit) in Spain and Portugal. Isn't the Mediterranean wonderful or what?

Economic readiness 8

If Spain and Portugal are able to recover from the current economic crisis in time, I believe they will pull it off.

Safety 8.5

This is a safe region, but could be a terrorist target because of its location in Europe.

Overall score: 70.5

Another solid joint bid. But the impact may not be as strong due to Spain previously hosting the World Cup, and the priority of single-nation bids over joint bids.

FINAL VERDICT

Based on these scores, the 2018 bid will go to Australia, and the 2022 bid will go to Belgium & the Netherlands if FIFA decides to go with the joint bid. However, if FIFA eschews the joint bids altogether, 2022 will go to England.