2018: London Calling?

It’s more than nine years away, but the 2018 World Cup has been the topic of conversation around England lately, garnering support and sparking controversy. Their bid to host the 2018 World Cup is one of the strongest in the field of 9 candidates. England officially launched their bid to host the tournament at Wembley on May 17, with support from David Beckham, Wayne Rooney, Prince William, and Gordon Brown. Lord Triesman, chairman of the FA, cited England’s strong infrastructure and economic benefits as incentives for England hosting the tournament, while Beckham emphasized the strong passion of English fans. The launch was not without controversy however. The bid has been criticized for its lack of diversity after a British National Party member was invited to the launch. Despite the controversy, England does look like a strong selection for 2018. They boast legendary venues, a good infrastructure which will be on display at the London 2012 Olympic Games, and an unquestionable passion for the Beautiful Game.

The Rivals: There are several strong bidders in the field, but each has a noticeable flaw in their proposals. Spain and Portugal, and Belgium and the Netherlands are at a disadvantage because they are joint bids, and FIFA President Sepp Blatter has already stated that joint bids will most likely fail. Russia stretches nine time zones, and will be too big to host the event. Indonesia has a poor infrastructure and an even poorer national team. Japan hosted the tournament 7 years ago with South Korea. The United States do not have the passion or football culture that England possess. Mexico and Australia also have bids in, but neither are as strong as England’s.



The Last Time England Hosted the World Cup:
Have a look at what life was like last time England Hosted, and Hoisted the Cup in 1966.
-John Lennon sent waves across the music world when he proclaimed that the Beatles were “more popular than Jesus.”
-Popular songs included the Beatles’ “Paperback Writer”, and “Yellow Submarine”, the Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations”, and Frank Sinatra’s “Strangers in the Night”.
-Dirk Bogarde won the Best British Actor BAFTA for Darling
-Harold Wilson was Prime Minister