2018 England

A large number of countries are considering submitting their application to host the World Cup 2018. One of the most influential candidates is China. After FIFA scrapped its continental rotation policy for hosting the World Cup, competition for hosting this event has rocketed sky-high. Should a bid by China materialise, it needs to be taken very seriously. China has never hosted a World Cup, and the last time a World Cup was held in Asia was the 2002 World Cup held in joint-hosts Korea/Japan.

The last football event held in China was the Asian Cup in 2004, where China was defeated by Japan in the final. The next major event will be this year’s much-awaited Olympic Games. It is very clear, and clearly outlined by the government of China, that the funds necessary for hosting the events are there. This is due to the giant economy developed in the last century. Worldwide-famous football clubs have built academies and organise tours to this country, as the revenues of such events are extremely high, and the clubs benefit from soccer bases in China. However, football is not the major sports in China, and average attendances in league games can be compared to those in Major League Soccer.

An enormous consideration is surely the infrastructure which is already in place. A relatively large number of state-of-the-art stadiums are already built and being used currently. These are already enough to host the World Cup, so only limited renovation will need to be carried out until 2018. The picturesque setting of most stadiums will also help China in its bid. Newly built ‘Birds Nest’ stadium (pictured) is in itself a magnificent sight. Stadiums are big enough to stage this competition.

The government is very strict about doing things right. FIFA won’t have to worry about stadium security, security outside stadiums or the stadiums themselves. Everything is already in place, 10 years before the World Cup 2018 starts.

The only drawback that opposes China hosting the World Cup is the record of the Chinese team in past World Cups. Since the host qualifies automatically for the finals, FIFA wouldn’t want a team that will be humbled and ridiculed in the competition by the likes of Germany, France, Italy, England, Brazil and Argentina. However, China still has time to improve this record by winning some silverware before submitting the bid. There are still 2 World Cups to go before the 2018 World Cup. Hopefully, staging the Olympics this year will aid this stunning country in its bid to host the most important sporting event in the World.