FIFA Awards World Cups To Russia, Qatar

In another devastating blow to the U.S. on the global sports stage, Qatar is named host of the ’22 World Cup. FIFA this morning in Zurich also awards the ’18 Cup to Russia. It was clear in the last 24 hours that the race for the '22 event had tightened considerably after Qatar presented a bid that stressed the growth of the game in a key region of the world. But even with Qatar’s momentum, it looked as though the U.S. presentation, which had some hiccups on Wednesday, would be enough based on the strength of its financial projections. But like Chicago's failed bid for the ’16 Games, a global voting constituency turned its back on traditional powerhouses and went for the new economy and a growth frontier. ESPN's Bob Ley called the loss "devastating," while former national team MF Cobi Jones called it "very disappointing." The implications are far-reaching, as the decision clearly hurts MLS, U.S. Soccer and the future development of soccer-specific stadiums.