Another Set-Back for the United States on the Stage of International Sports

FIFA, the organization that manages world soccer, has just announced that the 2018 World Cup will be held in Russia and that the honor of hosting the 2022 event will go to tiny Qatar. The U.S. had made an aggressive bid to host the 2022 games, and it was considered the favorite to win the competition for that event over Japan, South Korea, Australia, and Qatar, the other bidders. Sports Business Daily has already called the decision “another devastating blow to the U.S. on the global sports stage.”

The U.S. effort was directed by United States Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati, who is a native of India and also a professor at Columbia University. Aiding in the effort were former President Bill Clinton, who appeared before the selection committee, and current President Barack Obama, who appeared via video message. Actor Morgan Freeman also played a major role in the U.S. presentation. Apparently the cosmopolitan composition of the U.S. team was not enough to carry the day. In many ways, the loss of the 2022 World Cup was even more embarrassing than the U.S. team’s loss to Ghana in this year’s competition.

This is the second major organizational setback in two years for the United States, following its failure to obtain the 2016 Olympic Games. Allegations that the deck was fixed against the United States in regard to the World Cup have already surfaced. On Thursday morning (today), Sports Illustrated’s soccer columnist Grant Wahl posted a column on SI.com entitled: “Choice of Russia and Qatar as hosts raises questions of FIFA integrity.”

Whatever the reason for the decision it is now apparent that the ability of the United States to influence international sports authorities is at an all-time low.

This Post Has One Comment

  1. Name: Mark

    The people of Middle east are crazy about Soccer. I am very happy for Qatar and the rest of the region. We need good news coming from that part of the world. I hope this inspires the youth of indulge in sports rather than violence.

    Also very disappoint­ed with some of the comments here. The people living in Qatar may have a different lifestyle than us, but they deserve this as much as any other nation. Also an event like this will help the liberal forces in the middle east and will be a defeat for extremist.

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