United States, Qatar lead field for 2022 World Cup bid

TOMORROW, the world will watch as FIFA, from its headquarters in Zurich, will announce the fate of 11 countries eager to host (or co-host) the most popular and celebrated sporting event on the globe - the World Cup in 2018 and 2022.

The United States is in the running for the latter, along with Australia, Qatar, Japan and South Korea. Many experts believe the U.S. is the favorite for 2022, but Qatar in recent weeks has been viewed as a major competitor, promising to dump in excess of $50 billion toward building technologically advanced facilities should FIFA approve the nation of a little more than 1.69 million citizens. While FIFA said it found no substantial evidence, Qatar reportedly vowed to promote Spain and Portugual's joint bid for 2018 in exchange for backing the Middle Eastern nation for 2022.

Here is the voting process: In multiple rounds, 22 members of FIFA's executive committee, composed from various world soccer federations, will cast one vote for a nation. The country with the fewest votes in each round is eliminated until the majority selects one. The committee originally totaled 24, but two members were suspended after promising reporters disguised as U.S. lobbyists that they would sell votes to the highest bidder. On Monday, the European press alleged that three more senior FIFA officials received secret payments from marketing agencies.

It looks as if the country that keeps its nose the cleanest will be awarded. These proceedings risk being tainted because of the financial windfall of hosting the monthlong event - in addition to royalties that go to FIFA. According to an economic impact study commissioned by the U.S. Soccer Federation this year, $400 million to $600 million in revenue and nearly 8,000 temporary jobs would be generated in cities hosting games.

Currently, 18 U.S. cities, including Philadelphia, are in the bid submitted to FIFA in June. Since then, the U.S. has begun a massive marketing campaign, President Obama has met with FIFA president Sepp Blatter and former President Clinton is spearheading a campaign that has generated millions in private dollars. The bid committee also has support from the U.S. House of Representatives and will feature actor Morgan Freeman in a final bid presentation in Zurich today.

On Monday, members of the U.S. Bid Committee rehearsed inside the auditorium of the FIFA House in Zurich, where the event will take place tomorrow at 10 a.m. Eastern time. In the United States, the announcement is scheduled for broadcast on Fox Soccer Channel, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, CNN International and Univision.

"The presentation and the pitch have been received very well," U.S. Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati said Monday. "It's an election. It's very hard. A class election in high school, no one's saying, 'I'm definitely not going to vote for you.' And if they do, then that's the sure thing that you can count on. The analogy we use: It's not a game where we get updates when someone scores or gets sent off. It's one time, Dec. 2 at 4 o'clock [Swiss time] and then we'll know. Until then, we don't know."

In 1994, the United States hosted what has often been called the most successful World Cup in the tournament's 80-year history. That World Cup set attendance records (3,587,538 fans) in a country thought to view soccer as a second-class sport. With progressive infrastructure, hospitality, transportation, media outlets and a top-flight soccer league already in place, there is little reason to believe the U.S. can't replicate, if not transcend, what transpired 16 years ago.

All there's left to do is wait.

IN THE HUNT

A brief synopsis on the nations bidding to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup:

Thumbs up: Australia has hosted the FIFA under-20 World Cup twice (1981, 1993) in addition to many other world tournaments in rugby, cricket and, most notably, the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.

Thumbs down: The suspension of Reynald Temarii, Oceania president and ousted member of FIFA's executive committee, means the region lost its voting rights. This means Australia can't bank on any guaranteed votes from the committee. Also, many of Australia's top rugby and football leagues use the proposed stadiums during the same time of the World Cup.

Odds to host: 20-1

Thumbs up: Japan will host the 2019 Rugby World Cup and already is preparing for the event, with proposed construction of a 100,000-seat stadium.

Thumbs down: Its lack of large stadiums, finishing third in votes to host the 2016 Olympics and the fact that it has already hosted the World Cup within the past decade — a joint venture with South Korea in 2002 — is said to be working against the Japanese.

Odds to host: 50-1

Thumbs up: Many of its venues already meet FIFA specifications, as they were designed in advance of the 2002 World Cup.

Thumbs down: South Korea has hosted within the past decade; meanwhile, though no one knows what 2022 will bring, the fact that South Korea is currently clashing with North Korea can't sit well with FIFA.

Odds to host: 100-1

Thumbs up: Qatar is dumping loads of money — a reported $50 billion — into its bid. Also, the tiny nation of a little less than 2 million citizens sees this as an opportunity to unite Arab and Western cultures. FIFA president Sepp Blatter has gone on record saying that "the Arabic world deserves a World Cup."

Thumbs down: Qatar is oppressively hot during the summer, noted as a concern during FIFA's inspections. To remedy that, much of the $50 billion in escrow will fuel the design and construction of climate-controlled stadiums.

Odds to host: 5-1

Thumbs up: The United States already has the infrastructure, media and, more important, the financial backing from numerous outlets to once again host a successful World Cup. The 1994 tournament is regarded as the most successful in the World Cup's 80-year history.

Thumbs down: Probably perceived as a plus but the event would run during the heart of the Major League Soccer season. Additionally, two of the proposed sites (Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass., and Qwest Field, Seattle) are used by MLS teams.

Odds to host: 2-1

What will happen: Essentially, this bid comes down to the United States' bustling infrastructure vs. Qatar's $50 billion pledge to create one. But FIFA won't soon forget the cash cow the World Cup was in 1994, namely without the full explosion of the Internet in a country still trying to fully understand the sport. If FIFA really wants to be shown the money, it will pick the U.S.