Which Country's FIFA World Cup 2018 Bid Looks Most Impressive?
With the bidding feud gaining momentum, it's time to take a look at all the countries bidding to host the biggest sporting event in the world in summer 2018.
It's important to take a look at the country's culture, enthusiasm, finance, politics, hospitality, transport service, and whether they truly have what it takes...
No. 1: ENGLAND
1 of 6
England, the birthplace of football.
The country boasts heritage, wealth, celebrities, music, art, and their modern-day answer to football fans around the world, the English Premier League.
The EPL is easily the most watched football (soccer) league in the world and has millions of fans all over the world tuning in weekly to watch the games played in cities all over England.
It is understandable that the World Cup would be perfectly at home in the country, with stadiums, crew, and all services already in place. However, England also has a history of football-related gang fights, death, and crime.
Also, with almost every home in England having at least one football fan, it will be hard to make room for fans arriving from all over the world to watch the international tournament.
No. 2: HOLLAND AND BELGIUM
2 of 6
The Guardian reports, "Belgium-Holland Pinning their hopes on impeccably eco-friendly credentials."
Holland and Belgium, home to Ajax, world's second best football youth system, and Belgian waffles.
Former Chelsea player and Dutch international Ruud Gullit explains it best: "If they (Holland) were to be awarded the right to host the World Cup, it would not be a risk because they have done it in the past. The two countries are the best among 10 bidding to host the world’s biggest football event.
"The two countries are easily accessible without having to fly from one stadium to another. Football fans can cycle from stadium to stadium. They speak so many languages among them that many visiting countries will not feel left out."
Another excuse to run off to Amsterdam? Count us in!
No. 3: RUSSIA
3 of 6
Russia, home of Arsenal's Andrey Arshavin.
Vodka, Chekhov, models, spies, and mink all are synonymous with Russia. Russia defines upper class. The country boasts entertainment in all forms and amusements. Russia may have very low regard for their drinking age, but that's what makes them who they are—Russians.
Even though this year the country did not participate in the World Cup in South Africa, it is still the home of one of the finest football leagues in Europe.
Although there have been allegations of corruption and racism among fans, they were all disputed by their Sports Minister, Vitaly Mutko.
No. 4: SPAIN AND PORTUGAL
4 of 6
Spain, home of the current European and World Champions.
Portugal, home of Jose Mourinho and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Can there be any bid more deserving of the 2018 World Cup? Both Spain and Portugal have athletes, teams, and managers, all of whom have become world-class superstars.
They're the birthplaces of talented footballers such as Xavi Hernandez, Cesc Fabregas, David Villa, Iker Casillas, Raul Meireles, Fabio Coentrao, and Fernando Torres, all of whom have become household names.
With cities such as Madrid, Lisbon, and Barcelona, the hosts have nothing but entertainment, nightlife, shopping, bars, and restaurants, all ready to entertain tourists from all over the world.
The countries also boast heritage and history of various cultures such as monuments from the Islamic Empire and Catholic Church. Spanish and Portuguese are also the first or second languages of large football fanbases across the globe.
Finally, in terms of the actual sport to be played, Portugal runs the Supa Liga with world-class teams such as FC Porto, and Spain runs the world's second most-watched league in La Liga with international champions (and No. 1 youth system) FC Barcelona and the world-famous Real Madrid.
No. 5: USA
5 of 6
Birthplace of CNN, ESPN, George Clooney, Angelina Jolie, Avatar, The Godfather.
Current home of England's David Beckham, France's Thierry Henry, and Mexico's Rafael Marquez.
Sure, USA calls their own sport "football" and dubbed the actual sport that is internationally recognized as football "soccer" or the witty alternative "futbol," but it does not mean they don't have everything that it takes to host a worldwide spectacle. USA actually does it on a regular basis with events such as the Emmys and the Oscars, to name a few.
The United States of America prides itself on its multicultural and multiracial population. They also speak English (in some cities even Spanish and French) really well. They also regularly handle tourists, intense transportation schedules, sporting events of all kinds, and threats of any kind. If England is the professor, USA is the Wikipedia of sporting events.
However, there is a major downfall to all this: A huge portion of the population does not watch (for lack of confusion) soccer. It's still fresh in everyone's mind (especially my father's) that in 1994 the United States had a very hard time filling seats in their stadiums during the World Cup.
I still remember seeing men outside the stadium selling tickets to the final with a 30 percent discount! Have they really gained that many more fans in the last 16 years?
So Which Bid Should FIFA Pick for 2018?
6 of 6
Which bid will FIFA choose? Who should FIFA choose?
