2018/2022 World Cup venues

[Gazz]

A few observations...

English fans will still get pissed and smash up a city centre in Qatar 2022. Qatar allows alcohol, only the sale, presentation and being drunk in public are banned.

People may actually learn how to pronounce Qatar now.

England's excuses for failure

Russia 2018: Too cold.

Qatar 2022: Too hot.

Qatar is a ridiculous choice really, assuming the World Cup is played in June/July as always, the average temperature in Qatar in July is 46C/115F. At that temperature, moving is a chore, nevermind 90-120 minutes of strenous aerobic exercise. Playing in the mornings/evenings won't help much either, I was in Dubai in June and it was 38C at 4am.

[Baddar]

It would've been funny if Blatter opened the wrong envelope and shitloads of banknotes fell out of it.

...Yes, that was on twitter, not my own - because whenever I post anything resembling a funny, it's never my own.

[Dan]

Meh, we should just break away from FIFA and set up our own NFL style leadership ran by the BPL.

[Colly]

A few observations...

English fans will still get pissed and smash up a city centre in Qatar 2022. Qatar allows alcohol, only the sale, presentation and being drunk in public are banned.

People may actually learn how to pronounce Qatar now.

England's excuses for failure

Russia 2018: Too cold.

Qatar 2022: Too hot.

Qatar is a ridiculous choice really, assuming the World Cup is played in June/July as always, the average temperature in Qatar in July is 46C/115F. At that temperature, moving is a chore, nevermind 90-120 minutes of strenous aerobic exercise. Playing in the mornings/evenings won't help much either, I was in Dubai in June and it was 38C at 4am.

My brother was there in October and it was still too hot for footie. Irrelevant though, apparently all games will be played in indoor air conditioned venues.

[Shelty92]

As a Finn, all I can say is fuck Russia. The scum are rude, violent and racist by nature. I'd rather have fucking Luxembourg host a World Cup than them.

[stokeriño]

Eh. Whatever.

Draw's made. Let's worry about ridiculous Qatari summer temperatures etc. when we come to them.

Here's a selection of footballing awesomeness that's happening way before then:

Hooray for tournaments.

[Pesci]

Yay for tournaments. Nay for never getting to see one live

[METALMAN]

One thing that baffles me about Russia is the logistics of it all, and the sheer size of the country. Obviously you'd imagine most of the host cities would be in the west of Russia, but it is likely that Vladivostok at least - given its size and footballing status - would host a few matches. Conceivably, this could mean that a team might be playing a match in Vladivostok, then be expected to play in Leningrad (it's always Leningrad to me!) on the other side of the world a few days later. That would put them at a bit of a disadvantage.

Of course, there may well be some matches in Kaliningrad, which would be pretty easy for us to get to.

[Guest Mr. Potato Head]

The Finns are calling another country racists.

The Finns.

[9 to 5]

All the host cities seem to be in the west of Russia.

[britneyspearsisgod]

There is injustice in the world. It's not the first time we have seen this and it won't be the last.

Yes. I know.

But saying 'oh well it's happened before, might as well let in continue' is bollocks, and I think you probably know it.

I'm not saying "it happened before, let it continue". I agree that it is bollocks. What I am saying is that if it can help bring a new era to these nations and help them grow for the better, then good. A strange choice is Qatar, sure. The weather is a factor. But the fuckers live over there and survive, so why can't we send 23 players to play a game of football and survive? I'm sure there will be ways to come around it.

I am sad we don't have the World Cup coming in 2018. We could have made it a great tournament. But, now there will be children in the Middle East who can forget about the shit they have to deal with and see a World Cup in their own lifetime. Kids in Russia who get to see a World Cup in their lifetime. Forgetting the politics, I can consider that a good thing. And, as I said, if it can foster change for the good, then congrats.

[Chris the Human]

How on earth did the horrifically bland South Korea vote make it to the third round of voting? Oh yeah, they had an influential member on the board...

[Marcos]

Disappointed that both England and Australia missed out on winning, especially when I considered them to be the best candidates. Russia will be good though, and should put on a decent spectacle. Qatar if they can get everything right, will also be excellent, however, there is a lot of things they have to get right that they might slip up on.

[Noah]

I am torn between whether Qatar winning or us getting only 1 vote is the bigger joke. I mean you could argue that that other bids were stronger but how in the blue hell could our bid have been considered the worst?

[Gazz]

Qatar is a ridiculous choice really, assuming the World Cup is played in June/July as always, the average temperature in Qatar in July is 46C/115F. At that temperature, moving is a chore, nevermind 90-120 minutes of strenous aerobic exercise. Playing in the mornings/evenings won't help much either, I was in Dubai in June and it was 38C at 4am.

My brother was there in October and it was still too hot for footie. Irrelevant though, apparently all games will be played in indoor air conditioned venues.

That would make sense actually, seeing as you can go skiing on real snow in the middle of the Emirati desert these days.

One thing that baffles me about Russia is the logistics of it all, and the sheer size of the country. Obviously you'd imagine most of the host cities would be in the west of Russia, but it is likely that Vladivostok at least - given its size and footballing status - would host a few matches. Conceivably, this could mean that a team might be playing a match in Vladivostok, then be expected to play in Leningrad (it's always Leningrad to me!) on the other side of the world a few days later. That would put them at a bit of a disadvantage.

Of course, there may well be some matches in Kaliningrad, which would be pretty easy for us to get to.

Looking at the proposed venues, the furthest east in Yekaterinburg, the stadium in Vladivostok is only 10,000 capacity, I should know, I'm Luch-Energiya's manager.

[gunnar hendershow]

A few observations...

English fans will still get pissed and smash up a city centre in Qatar 2022. Qatar allows alcohol, only the sale, presentation and being drunk in public are banned.

People may actually learn how to pronounce Qatar now.

England's excuses for failure

Russia 2018: Too cold.

Qatar 2022: Too hot.

Qatar is a ridiculous choice really, assuming the World Cup is played in June/July as always, the average temperature in Qatar in July is 46C/115F. At that temperature, moving is a chore, nevermind 90-120 minutes of strenous aerobic exercise. Playing in the mornings/evenings won't help much either, I was in Dubai in June and it was 38C at 4am.

My brother was there in October and it was still too hot for footie. Irrelevant though, apparently all games will be played in indoor air conditioned venues.

Granting Qatar the legacy of the least environmentally-conscious World Cup in history.

[Gazz]

A few observations...

English fans will still get pissed and smash up a city centre in Qatar 2022. Qatar allows alcohol, only the sale, presentation and being drunk in public are banned.

People may actually learn how to pronounce Qatar now.

England's excuses for failure

Russia 2018: Too cold.

Qatar 2022: Too hot.

Qatar is a ridiculous choice really, assuming the World Cup is played in June/July as always, the average temperature in Qatar in July is 46C/115F. At that temperature, moving is a chore, nevermind 90-120 minutes of strenous aerobic exercise. Playing in the mornings/evenings won't help much either, I was in Dubai in June and it was 38C at 4am.

My brother was there in October and it was still too hot for footie. Irrelevant though, apparently all games will be played in indoor air conditioned venues.

Granting Qatar the legacy of the least environmentally-conscious World Cup in history.

That skidome I mentioned, the air conditioning alone uses a barrel of oil (159 litres) an hour. I doubt they care.

[Colly]

I'm sure that was a consideration FIFA weighed up against the moral dilemma of loads more money...

[Ian carlisle]

I'm sure that was a consideration FIFA weighed up against the moral dilemma of loads more money...

well put this into conidesration, I live in Lisburn with a pouplation of 71,465 , that is a bigger pouplation then the non doha candite cites for the 2022 qatar bid, I mean really a lot are complaining about england losing the 2018 bid finshing last that it could hide the real farce here, and there is the human rights issues, the sale of alchol is restiricted. It is not a smart idea to host it in Qatar

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

The beautiful Brazilian women won't be able to dance around in their bikinis either...They'll have to stay covered up.