...or 2018; I'm not too terribly picky, but sooner rather than later, please!

It wasn't until my brief two-year stint living in France that I learned that in Europe they think that North and South America are one continent, instead of the 2 continents geologists and most American schoolchildren are familiar with.

Why does this matter? Well, for one it explains to me why in FIFA's continental rotation plan, Europe is counting on hosting the tournament not just twice before it returns to North America, but three times.

The US tournament in 1994 was the last time we saw it on our part of the planet, then France and Germany hosted in 1998 and 2006 respectively, with Asian co-hosts in between (Japan and South Korea), and an African host in 2010. With South America receiving its spot in the rotation guaranteed for 2014, an American might expect that we would have a good chance at bringing the biggest game on the planet back to our shores in 2018. But what's this, England a possible host? If you do a Google Search on "2018 World Cup Host" you will also see that China and Portugal think they might be able to host.

The beloved wikipedia confirms that the continental rotation may be no longer, which would open up 2018, but who can honestly believe that UEFA President Lennart Johansson reports the truth in this quote from the London Times: "I allowed myself to inform him [Gordon Brown] that the other confederations [of FIFA] had proposed that the World Cup should go to Europe every third time." (Government 'To Support Bid' For 2018 World Cup)

You guessed it, UEFA thinks that everybody would prefer making those poor, ever-suffering Europeans happy than to actually have a fair rotation among the far corners of the world for themselves. The true irony in the case of North America vs. Europe is that the normal reason for believing that the other Feds would want it in Europe, i.e. big money for everybody, actually would weigh in our favor.

The 1994 tournament in the US was still the best attended, most profitable tournament FIFA has run, and that's even before the US team was good enough to get the country behind them and really whip it up. Mexico's soccer market is also extremely well advanced and would have little trouble hosting another excellent tournament, should they be able to get around all of the political and economic chaos that seems to accompany getting anything official done down there of late, to say nothing of them already having hosted the tournament twice in the last 30 years.

All Articles Indexed for the Updated Topic: 2018 World Cup Host Bidding
Was Lord Triesman On To Something? Just Ask Jennings | Independent May 23, 10 | go to article
Russian Referees Have Been Bribed, Beaten And Even Murdered... Corruption Is Still At A Very High Level | Daily Mail (UK) May 22, 10 | go to article
Lineker's Gesture Was Understandable But Triesman's Loose Words Were Mind-Boggling | Independent May 22, 10 | go to article
FIFA Official: Bribery Claims Probably Not True | Yahoo May 20, 10 | go to article
Lord Triesman Investigation Must Be Swift, Insist FIFA After 'Crazy' World Cup Bribe Allegations | Daily Mail (UK) May 19, 10 | go to article
The FA's 2018 Team Can Survive Lord Triesman's Gaffe, Says UEFA President Michel Platini | Daily Mail (UK) May 19, 10 | go to article
Lineker Quits Newspaper Column Over Triesman Story | Yahoo May 18, 10 | go to article
Lord Triesman's Claims That England's World Cup Bid Rivals Tried To Bribe Referees Will Be Investigated By FIFA | Daily Mail (UK) May 18, 10 | go to article
Conspiracy Theory Will Not Go Away With The Same Haste As Lord Triesman | London Times May 18, 10 | go to article
FIFA Inquiry Into Triesman's Comments Adds To 2018 World Cup Fears | Guardian May 18, 10 | go to article
Fa Braces For Second Batch Of Triesman Tapes | Independent May 18, 10 | go to article
The Recurring Fault Line Within English Football Is Its Failure To Produce Leaders | Independent May 17, 10 | go to article
Spain Bribe Referees To Win A World Cup? That's Rubbish Insists 2018 Chief Jorge Perez Arias | Daily Mail (UK) May 17, 10 | go to article
Vanity And A Bit Of Fluff Did For Lord Triesman | Daily Mail (UK) May 17, 10 | go to article
FA Chief Lord Triesman Accuses Spain And Russia Of Bid To Bribe World Cup Referees | Daily Mail (UK) May 16, 10 | go to article
England's World Cup Bid Chief Quits After Sting | Yahoo May 16, 10 | go to article
England 2018 World Cup Blow As Triesman Quits Over 'Bribe' Claims | Yahoo May 16, 10 | go to article
Triesman Leaves Fa Reeling From Another Scandal | Yahoo May 16, 10 | go to article
Blatter Hints That England May Win 2018 World Cup Bid | Daily Mirror UK Feb 15, 10 | go to article
Portugal Not Prepared To Invest In Stadiums For World Cup Bid | Goal.com Feb 12, 10 | go to article
Spain Looking For More From Portugal In WCup Bid | Sports Illustrated Feb 12, 10 | go to article
FIFA: '18 Bidding Still Open To All Comers | ESPN Jan 30, 10 | go to article
England Set To Unveil Candidate Cities For 2018 | ESPN Dec 16, 09 | go to article
Concrete Bid Could Put Bovines On The Big Stage | London Times Dec 14, 09 | go to article
Plymouth Have Final Chance To Convince 2018 Bid Team | London Times Dec 14, 09 | go to article
Aussies Want Change Of Rules For World Cup 2018 Bid | Guardian Dec 9, 09 | go to article
2018 Takes A Beck Seat | Daily Sun Dec 8, 09 | go to article
Beckham - Hard Work Ahead | Sky Sports Dec 3, 09 | go to article
England's 2018 Bid In The Spotlight | ESPN Dec 3, 09 | go to article
Beckham Boosts England Bid | Sky Sports Dec 2, 09 | go to article
Blatter - Becks Vital To Bid | Sky Sports Dec 2, 09 | go to article
Australian Bid Kicking Goals Against England | The Age Nov 30, 09 | go to article
Lord Triesman Resists Calls To Resign From England's 2018 World Cup Bid | Guardian Nov 29, 09 | go to article
England's World Cup Hopes Boosted By FIFA | Sky Sports Nov 28, 09 | go to article
Jack Warner: "It's England's Time" | ESPN Nov 28, 09 | go to article
Jack Warner Performs 2018 World Cup Bid U-Turn As Gordon Brown Intervenes | Telegraph Nov 27, 09 | go to article
How The World Cup Bid Rivals Compare | Independent Nov 20, 09 | go to article
FIFA Declares 11 Official Bids To Host World Cup | Yahoo Mar 17, 09 | go to article
England Submit Official Bid For 2018 And 2022 World Cups | Yahoo Mar 16, 09 | go to article
FIFA Fielding Bids From Lineup Of 11 Candidates | Yahoo Mar 16, 09 | go to article
Opposition Grows To Blatter's "No" To Co-Hosting | Yahoo Mar 16, 09 | go to article
Football Federation Australia Says Adelaide Needs World Cup Stadium | The Advertiser (Adelaide, Australia) Mar 2, 09 | go to article
Top Clubs Aim To Fly High With Qatar Airways | Gulf Times (Qatar) Mar 1, 09 | go to article
Australia Bidding For Cups Double | Yahoo Feb 26, 09 | go to article
Australia Claims Worldwide Support For World Cup Bid | Goal.com Feb 25, 09 | go to article
Coe Joins England's World Cup Bid Campaign | Reuters Feb 18, 09 | go to article
No Concern For Benelux World Cup Funding | Yahoo Feb 17, 09 | go to article
Australia The Dark Horse In World Cup Bid: Ex-FA Boss | Sydney Morning Herald Feb 8, 09 | go to article
South Korea: Australia And Japan Are Our Rivals For 2018 World Cup | Goal.com Feb 6, 09 | go to article
Platini Wants 2018 World Cup Finals In Europe | ESPN Feb 5, 09 | go to article
Capello Backs England To Stage 2018 World Cup | Yahoo Feb 4, 09 | go to article
England 2018 Cup Rivals Confirmed | BBC Feb 4, 09 | go to article
Europe's Bid Frenzy Suits Australia | Sydney Morning Herald Jan 22, 09 | go to article
Japan World Cup Bid Rests On 2016 Olympic vote | Yahoo Jan 22, 09 | go to article
New World Cup Bidding System In The Making | Google News Oct 6, 08 | go to article
Australia Get World Cup 2018 Boost | ESPN Sep 19, 08 | go to article
Blatter: South America And Africa Have No Chance Of Hosting 2018 World Cup | Yahoo Feb 17, 08 | go to article
Jack Warner Supports England World Cup Bid | London Times Feb 15, 08 | go to article
Warner Backing For England's World Cup Bid | ESPN Feb 14, 08 | go to article
CONCACAF President Backs England Bid For 2018 World Cup | Soccer By Ives Feb 14, 08 | go to article
Warner Backs England Bid | Sky Sports Feb 14, 08 | go to article
USSF's Prospects To Host In 2018 | Washington Post Sep 29, 07 | go to article
England Get 2018 World Cup Boost | BBC Sep 25, 07 | go to article
FIFA Plan Olympic-Style Bidding To Host World Cup Finals | Yahoo Aug 30, 07 | go to article
Warner Stands By Criticism Of 'Disliked' FA | Independent Aug 23, 07 | go to article
England's Fury At FIFA Chief's Shock Blast | Yahoo Aug 10, 07 | go to article
England Demand Explanation From Warner Over Comments | Yahoo Aug 10, 07 | go to article
FA Stunned By Jack Warner World Cup Attack | Telegraph Aug 10, 07 | go to article
Warner Turns His Ire On England | Scotsman.com Aug 10, 07 | go to article
England To Lose 2018 World Cup Host Bid: Warner | Yahoo Aug 9, 07 | go to article
England Hits Back At Soccer Irritant Attack | Yahoo Aug 9, 07 | go to article
Football Association Criticizes Warner For Saying England Won't Host 2018 World Cup | Yahoo Aug 9, 07 | go to article
McBeth's Blunder Jeopardises Historic FIFA Independence Of Home Nations | The Scotsman May 30, 07 | go to article
Thompson Gets FIFA Role As McBeth Dumped | Eurosport May 30, 07 | go to article