What, you think the Faeroes will be able to mount a better bid than Malta?!? C'mon, it's the third cycle, back to Europe...
;-)

I don't know if the Faroe Islands have the infrastructure to host a World Cup by 2030.

How about Andorra 2030? :)

I dont know how I feel about ending the rotation. Dont get me wrong, I dont like the idea of basically saying "alright, we have to have the tourney in South America this time...which one of you wants it?", but the idea that we'd have to go back to Europe 12 years after the last World Cup where other places that would be receptive to the Cup and have the infrastructure (North America, Asia) would wait 24 or 28 years between their cups. It just seems to me that it would be pandering to the wealthy European nations.

it probably mostly depends on who slips the biggest envelope full of cash to Herr Blatter under the table.

The Faroes do have that pretty windswept, seaside stadium. But I imagine it would be tough to stage all of the matches there.

Do you really think China gets to go before Australia?

So what, Liechtenstein is too large to host it in 2030?

Personally I am annoyed that Argentina didn't challenge Brazil to host it in 2014, but I am clearly biased.

I never liked the euro-centric bias of FIFA, but I guess they have demonstrated over and over that money dictates the rules.

I think Fifa's going to be desperate to have a "safe" world cup in England after dealing with massive infrastructure/crime/transportation/etc. issues of two consecutive World Cups in the third world. Sure, SA and Brazil are a big step up from the middle east or central africa, but the fact that SA feels it's necessary to add 30k police officers and flights landing in Brazil seem to have a dwindling survival rate is going to have Sepp and the gang longing for a host country fully-equiped to deal with a cup and millions of fans only a few hours and a short flight/train ride away.

I'm still hoping for an earlier US date, but it'll probably hinge on one of the next two falling through.

New Zealand

Actually, I think Australia makes sense for one of those WC bids in your list - maybe the 2026 bid. And if the All Whites start making a show, New Zealand can co-host with the Aussies. The A-League already includes the token Kiwi team in Wellington (even though the first iteration (NZ Knights) failed).

As in 1994, the tournament would have to be held at pointyball venues. If all goes according to plan, nearly all top-level soccer will have migrated to soccer-specific facilities, which won't be large enough to host WC matches. Further, a fair number of the pointyball stadiums that will be in use in 2022 haven't been built yet. I hope these new stadiums will be designed in such a way that they are suitable for occasional high-profile soccer matches, including the WC. That goes double for the successor to FedEx Field, whether it is built on the site of RFK or somewhere else.

Further, although another WC in this country would be great, 2022 is a long way off, and for now I'd settle for an occasional friendly. Accordingly, I'd like to repeat a question that I raised in a post to another thread a few days ago: When was the last time we saw either the MNT or WNT in the Washington area, and do we have any hope of seeing them again anytime soon? We've been losing out to places such as East Hartford, CT, and if current trends continue, we may be taking a back seat to Green Bay, WI in this department (http://tinyurl.com/2ax8wz).

By 2030 won't the Faeroes be underwater due to that whole gloabl warming thing I've been hearing about on the interweb?

I've long thought it might be kind of cool for the US to get the World Cup in 2026 - the nation's semiquincentennial anniversary (250 years of independence). Of course then it would really suck to go out in the knockout round on the 4th of July like we did in 94 against Brazil. Speaking of anniversaries, it would also be a nice gesture if Uruguay could get in on the hosting duties for the 2030 tournament - 100 years after they hosted the inaugural World Cup. Maybe co-host w/ Argentina this time? Of course those are both a long ways off, but when you think about it seems like the future competitions are mapped out for a while - 2010 South Africa, 2014 Brazil, 2018 England (?), 2022 USA/China/Australia?

For the most part, I like your rotation. As for the US in 2022, I would love to see it, but I'm a big fan of spreading the wealth around, and I would love to see Canada get some of that soccer-love and give them a shot at hosting it before we get it again for a second time within 30 years.

I couldn't imagine a worse venue for the world cup than China. Outter Mongolia would be better.
I'd rather see the WC go to Russia before it went to China.

How about this? You actually qualify for a WC before you get to host one. No country should get an automatic bid (and top seed) without having qualified before. I'm thinking Japan in 2002, plus lots of those who are bidding for it. Someone suggested Canada...I love the place and they'd probably do a great job, but they need to break through the qualifiers first.

So long as China has so many human rights violations going on, they shouldn't be given such a prestigious sporting event. No...the Olympics are not as prestigious.

"You actually qualify for a WC before you get to host one."
"Canada... but they need to break through the qualifiers first.

Weren't we awarded the 1994 WC before we qualified for 1990? Besides, how far back would you make the eligibility rule? Canada qualified in 1986.

I hope that we will get the Cup in 2018. However, by 2022, both my children will be on the national team and I'll get free tickets. I will be to Soccer Insider what Boswell's Mom is to Sports Bog.

And if ANY of you rip into my boys for missing an open shot, tackle, or clearance, you will have an almost elderly man to deal with! Fear the cane!

"When was the last time we saw either the MNT or WNT in the Washington area, and do we have any hope of seeing them again anytime soon? We've been losing out to places such as East Hartford, CT, and if current trends continue, we may be taking a back seat to Green Bay, WI in this department (http://tinyurl.com/2ax8wz)."

Doesn't the fact that the field is currently a multi-use one have something to do with it? I seem to recall reading something to the effect that because it alternates between a baseball and soccer field, that that disqualifies it under FIFA rules for hosting international matches.

I think that's right - but, as Goff mentioned, as soon as the Nationals play their last home game this season (September 23) United plan to replace the field with all new grass and maybe new seating (probably with help from MLS because the Cup final will be held at RFK in November). I bet we'll get a national team game soon thereafter.

UEFA er, I mean FIFA, same organization, is a joke. Ending the continental rotation outright is a bad idea. The "the last 2 continents can't host rule" isn't horrible, but Blatter has also talked about making North and South America count as one continent. BAAAD for growing the game in the US but FIFA has never given a crap about that.
It's hard for me to argue against England in 2018 as much as I loathe the English style of play and this "Europe should host every world cup" attitude; but they probably do deserve another crack at it since it's been 50 some odd years. However, they better promise not to rig the tournament this time.
Oh and Goff, I'm not sure if you've have been to China, but while the economy is growing rapidly, their infrastructure is in an absolute shambles and they are on the verge of a MAJOR famine in the north and west of the country. I don't see China hosting for a long while (beyond 2026). Once city hosting the Olympics is one thing (and they are barely pulling that together) but the whole of China doing a WC is a much different prospect.

"Goff, I'm not sure if you've have been to China..."

The more relevant question may be whether you are planning to go to China in the not too distant future. Perhaps you can provide a firsthand report on the state of things there. (But who would cover United in your absence?)

In any event, 19 years is a long time, and a lot of things can happen betwixt now and then. Suppose that in 1975 you had been asked to assess the suitability of the USA as a host nation for the 1994 WC. That would have been an interesting exercise.