2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup bids

• 1. The Bidding Process Overview

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  FIFA began the official bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups in March 2009. Eleven bids from thirteen countries were received before the executive committee voted in November 2010. Two of these bids applied only to the 2022 tournament, while others initially sought both events. The selection rules changed significantly after October 2007 when FIFA ended its continental rotation policy. This new system made Africa ineligible for 2018 and South America ineligible for both tournaments. Countries belonging to the same confederation as either of the last two hosts could not bid. Voting used a multiple round exhaustive ballot system where the candidate with the fewest votes was eliminated until one won by majority. All non-European bids for 2018 were eventually withdrawn, forcing all remaining European bids to focus solely on that year.

• 2. European Host Candidates

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  England submitted a 63-page bid on the 24th of April 2008, focusing on global football development. Richard Caborn led the campaign after stepping down as Sports Minister. David Triesman served as bid chairman until his resignation on the 16th of May 2010. The British government backed the effort, with venues selected on the 16th of December 2009 including London, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Liverpool, Milton Keynes, Newcastle, Nottingham, Plymouth, Sheffield, and Sunderland. Belgium and the Netherlands registered their joint intention in March 2009. A delegation met FIFA President Sepp Blatter on the 14th of November 2007 to announce interest. Christian Karembeu became official counselor on the 23rd of June 2009. Their plan included seven venues in Belgium and five cities in the Netherlands. Portugal and Spain announced their joint bid intent on the 23rd of December 2008. Angel Villar stated they needed a strong consistent bid for 2018. Russia announced its intent in early 2009 and submitted requests to FIFA. Fourteen cities were proposed across five clusters centered on Saint Petersburg, Moscow, Sochi, and the Volga River.

• 3. Asian And American Aspirations

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  Australia confirmed its bid for 2018 in September 2007 but withdrew from that cycle on the 10th of June 2010 to focus on 2022. Federal minister Kate Ellis promised $45.6 million to fund preparation. The Australian Football League and National Rugby League claimed loss of access to major venues would disrupt seasons. Japan aimed to host twice after co-hosting in 2002. They planned a 100,000-seat stadium for the 2016 Olympics which failed in October 2009. On the 4th of May 2010, Japan withdrew its 2018 bid to concentrate on 2022. Qatar launched an advertising campaign in November 2009 aiming to become the first Arab host. Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani chaired the committee. Concerns existed about extreme temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius in summer. South Korea appointed Han Seung-joo as chairman in August 2009. President Lee Myung-bak visited FIFA headquarters in Zürich in January 2010. The United States announced bids for both tournaments on the 28th of January 2009. David Downs served as executive director. The final list included 18 cities and 21 stadiums selected in January 2010.

• 4. Disqualified And Withdrawn Efforts

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  Mexico cancelled its bid for both cups due to financial reasons on the 28th of September 2009. Alberto de la Torre had announced intentions to bid in 2005 but was ineligible under rotation policy. Indonesia received rejection from FIFA on the 19th of March 2010 because the government could not support the request. PSSI president Nurdin Halid believed they stood a chance despite poor infrastructure. Secretary General Nugraha Besoes admitted disqualification was possible without official backing. The Indonesian government stated concern for the people of the country prevented support. This led PSSI to throw support behind Australia's 2022 campaign. Qatar faced allegations regarding Project Merciless, a covert operation targeting high officials. Reports claimed espionage, surveillance, hacking, and influence operations were used to secure hosting rights. These actions overshadowed the technical aspects of their proposal. The failure of other Arab countries like Morocco and Egypt to win previous bids highlighted the difficulty of securing the tournament.

• 5. The Final Voting Rounds

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  FIFA President Sepp Blatter announced winning bids at headquarters in Zürich on the 2nd of December 2010. Russia won the 2018 tournament while Qatar secured 2022. Twelve votes were needed for a majority in each round. No bid received twelve votes initially so elimination proceeded based on fewest votes. Netherlands/Belgium, Qatar, and Japan received fewer votes in round two compared to round one. At least two voting members changed their votes between rounds despite initial safety from elimination. The final vote totals showed Russia receiving seven votes in round three against four for England. Qatar won with fourteen votes in round four after eliminating South Korea. Russia became the first Eastern European host while Qatar became the first Middle Eastern host. The committee decided to go to new lands to develop football globally. Multiple bids received fewer votes in subsequent rounds than preceding ones indicating shifting alliances among voters.

• 6. Corruption Investigations And Indictments

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  ESPN published allegations linking Qatar's successful bid to Football Dreams in late 2010. This program channeled money from the Qatari government to football programs in fifteen countries. Six of those countries had representatives on the FIFA executive committee. Blatter admitted Spanish and Qatari teams tried to trade votes but claimed it failed. Lord Treisman told a House of Commons select committee that four members approached him asking for things in exchange for votes. Jack Warner allegedly asked for £2.5 million for projects while Nicolás Leoz requested knighthood. Issa Hayatou and Jacques Anouma were given $1.5 million according to Sunday Times reports. Michael J. Garcia investigated allegations in July 2012 and submitted his report in September 2014. FIFA declined to release the full document initially. U.S. federal prosecutors disclosed corruption cases leading to arrests of seven people in May 2015. More than forty individuals were indicted including Luis Bedoya, Chuck Blazer, and Jack Warner. Shell corporations and sham consulting contracts paid voters between one and five million dollars. Franz Beckenbauer was accused by Swiss prosecutors of embezzlement related to voting in 2006.