| Notes |
| » A World Cup announcement party will be held at the Newseum on Thursday. Doors open at 9 a.m., and the announcement event begins at 10. It also will be broadcast on ESPN, Univision and Fox Soccer Channel. |
| 2018 candidates |
| Russia 6-4 |
| England Even |
| Spain-Portugal 7-2 |
| Netherlands-Belgium 40-1 |
| 2022 candidates |
| Australia 5-2 |
| Japan 16-1 |
| Qatar 4-5 |
| South Korea 25-1 |
| United States 3-1 |
| Source: English bookmaker Ladbrokes |
Qatar’s appeal was dramatic and emotional, but the United States responded with its not-so-secret weapon, former President Bill Clinton, who drove home a message of potential economic windfall and broader social impact should the United States host the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
“You won’t have to worry about construction deadlines or ticket sales,” Clinton said to close the American bid presentation to FIFA in Zurich on Wednesday. “You will be free to elevate this game as never before and to show how it can make the world a better place.”
After a long campaign, the 2018 and 2022 World Cups destinations will be decided Thursday. FIFA will turn to 22 members of its executive committee via secret ballot. FIFA president Joseph “Sepp” Blatter would break any tie.
The United States — with the legacy of the most-attended World Cup ever in 1994, a plethora of massive stadiums, an unmatched infrastructure and a bid backed by a host of business, political and entertainment heavyweights from Brad Pitt to Henry Kissinger — should be the favorite. FedEx Field is included in the bid as a potential site for a high-profile match.
But an ambitious play from tiny but deep-pocketed Qatar — which has proposed building multiple stadiums, air-conditioning all of them and then dismantling them for donation afterward — has developed momentum. As part of Qatar’s final presentation Wednesday, an Iraqi citizen spoke about how the tournament could help unify the troubled Middle East.
Actor Morgan Freeman opened the U.S. presentation but stumbled briefly after accidentally skipping a page of his remarks. The presentation turned into a college lecture when U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati, an economics professor at Columbia, brought out financial numbers, but the clincher was Clinton.
“The state-of-the-art facilities, the infrastructure already in place and already discussed and the enthusiasm of our people will allow you to focus your energies on making sure everybody in the world enjoys the games and making sure your broader agenda is realized,” Clinton said.
