United States-led 2026 World Cup bid in jeopardy to Morocco's

[Gina11]

However, the best places - NYC, SF, SD, Chicago, Austin, Seattle, etc. - are incredibly good places to live. Far, far better than anywhere in Europe. Especially if you have any career/business aspirations.

Ahem. I live in Austin. I like it, except during the summer when it's close to hell on Earth (Houston, IMHO), but no sane person would ever claim Austin was better than, say, Paris. Name even one famous building here that isn't the UT Tower? The only road anyone ever walks down is Sixth Street.

Your posts are full of unsupportable hyperbole, and it's only boredom and respect for the topic here that prevent me from arguing each one. But all the cities you list as "incredibly good places to live" voted massively against your fake president, and rejected his dumb-downed politics of hate. Even here in Travis County, he could only scrape together 27% of the vote. In Seattle, he got less then ten percent. Does this suggest anything to you?

----

As for the World Cup bid, my preference is for North America because a) I can go and b) Canada and Mexico, but if Mafia Don doesn't back off, he may wreck the bid. And that may be for the greater good. Fascinating countries like Morocco deserve the chance to show the world who they are and what they can do.

(If they were smart and sneaky, the Moroccans would find indirect ways to wind Trump up. Maybe they could tell Fox & Friends that Islam is Morocco's state religion and that all the Muslim countries will be voting for them. A couple more hate tweets and the "United" bid is done.)

 

[Cal?]

Name one city in Europe that has a per capita GDP larger than the US ones I listed.

There is none.

Plenty of European cities have higher GDP per capita.

 

[Gina11]

Plenty of European cities have higher GDP per capita.

I was just about to post exactly the same thing. I'm glad I read new posts first.

 

[Cal?]

I was just about to post exactly the same thing. I'm glad I read new posts first.

Not many city rankings around, this one seems the most appropriate.

 

[Carolina Red]

As president he can push some law which may take effect for future (until it's abolished). Imagine some rule which may eventually make it hard for supporters to enter travel to support their teams. Players/ coaching staff with personal issues to enter, participating in the WC...

His executive order travel ban is currently fighting an uphill battle in the US federal court system and Congress won’t touch it and is likely to flip this November to the Democrats.

Like, I get it... Trump is a dick, but to use that to mount an argument against a country that’s one of the best suited to host a World Cup on the planet is silly when you look at the facts.

 

[RedTiger]

Lots of countries can host the WC at "a weeks notice": England, Germany, Spain, France, Japan, China, USA, Brazil can all do it. I don't see why this is such a big selling point.

As for Morocco being in the UK time zone, surely that's a BAD thing?

How is being in the UK time zone a bad thing?

 

[Cal?]

How is being in the UK time zone a bad thing?

Plenty of WC games are played during office hour.

 

[Keeps It tidy]

His executive order travel ban is currently fighting an uphill battle in the US federal court system and Congress won’t touch it and is likely to flip this November to the Democrats.

Like, I get it... Trump is a dick, but to use that to mount an argument against a country that’s one of the best suited to host a World Cup on the planet is silly when you look at the facts.

The US is best suited in terms of infrastructure no question. But, how far apart the cities are is not ideal.

 

[RedTiger]

Plenty of WC games are played during office hour.

I may have been slightly selfish in my previous post.... I only work nights.

 

[ti vu]

His executive order travel ban is currently fighting an uphill battle in the US federal court system and Congress won’t touch it and is likely to flip this November to the Democrats.

Like, I get it... Trump is a dick, but to use that to mount an argument against a country that’s one of the best suited to host a World Cup on the planet is silly when you look at the facts.

The thing is the uncertainty. What I meant is there maybe minority support Trump's ideas. It is fighting uphill battle, but the possibilities of landscape changing event can happen in life that turn the tide. Life is full of unexpectation. Trump has had his way in some of the underdog fight, so as long as that uncertainty still exist by Trump side pushing it, the worry wouldn't go away.

Another aspect is a country who never host World Cup has its own appease. It's human's curious nature want to experience something new. It wouldn't be as compelling if it's not for the point above regarding Trump regime.

 

[Gasolin]

As an American, I'd like to point out that, barring a dictatorial coup of the Constitution, Donald Trump literally cannot be president in 2026.

Nah he's in for the next term too. That's why the Olympics in LA in 2024 was challenging (albeit I agree, it's a bit stupid to involve politics in such a decision). So Paris got 2024 and LA got 2028, which should be after Trump has done his 2 terms.

I am pretty sure Trump will be reelected, nothing has changed compared to 2017 so the same arguments will keep working.

 

[Carolina Red]

Nah he's in for the next term too. That's why the Olympics in LA in 2024 was challenging (albeit I agree, it's a bit stupid to involve politics in such a decision). So Paris got 2024 and LA got 2028, which should be after Trump has done his 2 terms.

I am pretty sure Trump will be reelected, nothing has changed compared to 2017 so the same arguments will keep working.

He might not even run for the office next term. Hell... He might be in prison next term.

 

[Carolina Red]

The US is best suited in terms of infrastructure no question. But, how far apart the cities are is not ideal.

Now that is a legitimate concern.

 

[MackRobinson]

I've lived in Chicago for five years. I'm from Oxford and lived in Liverpool and Manchester for 3 years each.
However, the best places - NYC, SF, SD, Chicago, Austin, Seattle, etc. - are incredibly good places to live. Far, far better than anywhere in Europe. Especially if you have any career/business aspirations.

FAR better? Come on...

Ahem. I live in Austin. I like it, except during the summer when it's close to hell on Earth (Houston, IMHO), but no sane person would ever claim Austin was better than, say, Paris. Name even one famous building here that isn't the UT Tower? The only road anyone ever walks down is Sixth Street.

Your posts are full of unsupportable hyperbole, and it's only boredom and respect for the topic here that prevent me from arguing each one. But all the cities you list as "incredibly good places to live" voted massively against your fake president, and rejected his dumb-downed politics of hate. Even here in Travis County, he could only scrape together 27% of the vote. In Seattle, he got less then ten percent. Does this suggest anything to you?

This.

I live in Austin and lived in SF for 3 years. I would much rather live in Amsterdam, Paris, Berlin, and Zürich(admittedly I have a soft spot for Switzerland) than San Francisco and Austin. I'm no Europhile and I think Austin, SF, and all the other cities mentioned are great in their own right, but they are very much tailored for certain types of people. If you aren't in tech, the job opportunities in Austin and SF aren't that much better than other places and even still there are a lot of tech hubs in Europe. Also in Austin, unless you really give a shit about live music, the nightlife scene here is meh (and I live downtown).

It always interesting to see people talk in such glowing terms about living in a place they have never lived.

 

[Gasolin]

He might not even run for the office next term. Hell... He might be in prison next term.

Hehe yeah, well you're right his next term ends in 2025. However, any world cup win is to be done during his terms, and I think that's something people are not keen to see. I do think this is childish but this is probably the right way to describe the situation.

 

[Gasolin]

The US is best suited in terms of infrastructure no question. But, how far apart the cities are is not ideal.

Think that concern is ok if we keep the group stages in a local area (say in a zone, like North East, South East...) and the fans travel within those states.
And then for the 2nd tour, we may need to be a bit creative but that's not the end of the world.

Just don't play the final in the Metlife Stadium in NJ because that stadium is hell when it comes to public transportation, especially from NYC...

 

[Carolina Red]

Think that concern is ok if we keep the group stages in a local area (say in a zone, like North East, South East...) and the fans travel within those states.
And then for the 2nd tour, we may need to be a bit creative but that's not the end of the world.

Just don't play the final in the Metlife Stadium in NJ because that stadium is hell when it comes to public transportation, especially from NYC...

The final should be held where Atlanta United play... the new Mercedes Benz stadium

 

[Eboue]

He might not even run for the office next term. Hell... He might be in prison next term.

Hes going to prison next term, then president fieri pardons him in time for trump to run and win in 2024.

 

[Gasolin]

The final should be held where Atlanta United play... the new Mercedes Benz stadium

With one of the biggest airport in the world nearby, yes, I agree, this one would be a good candidate for a World Cup final. In fact, the stadium experience will be unreal for fans, it's really a shame football is not that well known in the USA. But I do not complain, it allows me to get NBC Sports with EPL, Fox Sports for UCL and BeIn for some other leagues at a "competitive price" compared to what people are paying for all the US sports packages.

 

[Carolina Red]

With one of the biggest airport in the world nearby, yes, I agree, this one would be a good candidate for a World Cup final. In fact, the stadium experience will be unreal for fans, it's really a shame football is not that well known in the USA. But I do not complain, it allows me to get NBC Sports with EPL, Fox Sports for UCL and BeIn for some other leagues at a "competitive price" compared to what people are paying for all the US sports packages.

It’s not going to be that way for too much longer...

Soccer is now the fastest growing sport in America in terms of popularity. MLS attendances are now averaging the same as Serie A and the Championship and are inching close to La Liga.

Combine that with the rate at which parents are pulling their kids out of American Football and into other sports and soccer is going to get bigger quick here.

 

[Gasolin]

It’s not going to be that way for too much longer...

Soccer is now the fastest growing sport in America in terms of popularity. MLS attendances are now averaging the same as Serie A and the Championship and are inching close to La Liga.

Combine that with the rate at which parents are pulling their kids out of American Football and into other sports and soccer is going to get bigger quick here.

In order for "soccer" to get dramatically bigger, they would need to win a World Cup or do a fantastic World Cup and win maybe the Concacaf tournament or something? Not happening anytime soon. If it's just a matter of numbers, China has the biggest number of potential players. They are far away from winning even an Asian cup so... and as long as success is not that much around, football will be secondary in the US. The MLS will grow though.

One of the thing though is that Americans are eager to see a sport where the scores move quickly. The closest sport to football would be the NHL, and even there, scores are a bit more volatile than in a normal football game.

I think football will be a big thing in the USA for kids. But I can't see it becoming a big thing at the professional level without the national team winning anything major.

 

[Carolina Red]

In order for "soccer" to get dramatically bigger, they would need to win a World Cup or do a fantastic World Cup and win maybe the Concacaf tournament or something? Not happening anytime soon. If it's just a matter of numbers, China has the biggest number of potential players. They are far away from winning even an Asian cup so... and as long as success is not that much around, football will be secondary in the US. The MLS will grow though.

One of the thing though is that Americans are eager to see a sport where the scores move quickly. The closest sport to football would be the NHL, and even there, scores are a bit more volatile than in a normal football game.

I think football will be a big thing in the USA for kids. But I can't see it becoming a big thing at the professional level without the national team winning anything major.

With the number of athletes we have moving away from our most popular fall sport, and with the amount of resources we’ve poured into sports science, I just don’t think it’ll take that long.

Hosting another World Cup would jump start that process even more.

 

[Cal?]

The US is best suited in terms of infrastructure no question. But, how far apart the cities are is not ideal.

Now that is a legitimate concern.

They should do a east coast WC or a west coast WC.

 

[Carolina Red]

They should do a east coast WC or a west coast WC.

Definitely doable for a WC east of the Mississippi and/or west of the Rockies (including or not including Denver)

That said, even when we hosted it in 1994 across all time zones it was the most attended WC ever.

I agree that refraining from multiple time zones would help make it better though.

 

[Cal?]

Definitely doable for a WC east of the Mississippi and/or west of the Rockies (including or not including Denver)

That said, even when we hosted it in 1994 across all time zones it was the most attended WC ever.

I agree that refraining from multiple time zones would help make it better though.

You can smash ALL the attendance records if you do a 48 team WC in the US. Lots of huge NFL stadiums you can use.

 

[Carolina Red]

You can smash ALL the attendance records if you do a 48 team WC in the US. Lots of huge NFL stadiums you can use.

And there’s tons of college stadiums that are bigger than those.

 

[BBRBB]

And there’s tons of college stadiums that are bigger than those.

The college stadiums are not up to FIFA standards though.

 

[Openshaw53]

The college stadiums are not up to FIFA standards though.

And the approximately 3 stadiums they have in Morocco do?

 

[Oscie]

Has anyone pointed out yet that the [EVERYTHING] in America is far better than anything else anywhere else in the world, yet?

And we know that's true because someone with the maturity to think like that, says it.

 

[Zlatattack]

Name one city in Europe that has a per capita GDP larger than the US ones I listed.

There is none.

Therein lies the problem with your way of life. Obsessed with wealth and statistics. Name a single city in the USA that can offer the same healthcare for free that even the shittiest place in Britain can.

In Europe we don't live to make money, we make money to live.

 

[Oscie]

Therein lies the problem with your way of life. Obsessed with wealth and statistics. Name a single city in the USA that can offer the same healthcare for free that even the shittiest place in Britain can.

In Europe we don't live to make money, we make money to live.

Bollocks. Some of my best holidays have been spent holed up in a hotel room trying to research the per capita GDP of the area I'm in.

 

[Denis79]

You always get the feeling the general US population doesn't care about football so you're always cautious to give them a World Cup when smaller countries, where football is more revered, are also bidding.

That's the only thing that's against their bid imo. Why should a country host the biggest football event in the world when it's not even the biggest sport in the country, hell its not even second or third? That's what made the Brazil WC special, you could see what it meant to the country.

 

[gormless]

And the approximately 3 stadiums they have in Morocco do?

Well their stadiums have been used for the Club World Cup and were planned for the African Cup of Nations prior to Ebola scare. And they are building new ones as well. Considering Qatar had about 1 stadium when they were awarded their World Cup, I don’t think it’s an issue

 

[Zlatattack]

Bollocks. Some of my best holidays have been spent holed up in a hotel room trying to research the per capita GDP of the area I'm in.

Clearly your inefficient. You should have done that at work whilst you were researching the holiday, or browsing the Caf.

 

[do.ob]

With the number of athletes we have moving away from our most popular fall sport, and with the amount of resources we’ve poured into sports science, I just don’t think it’ll take that long.

Hosting another World Cup would jump start that process even more.

To be one of the best you have to play and train with/against the best. And that will "forever" be European football, since I don't see any other competition come close to Europe's combined top leagues and the CL in the foreseeable future. Therefore the way to become a top top nation is to get the kids as quickly as possible into Europe and the US has an inherent disadvantage at that, first of all because it's hard to legally move u18 players between continents, secondly because the opportunity cost is just way higher for American kids than it is for some poor kid from South America and the bigger the MLS grows the more appealing it will become for kids to stay in their home country longer.

And Trump will not be in office in 2026, but the policies he will implement (potentially up to 2025) won't be automatically abolished the second he leaves office, so I can fully understand that FIFA's committees hesistate to give a world cup to a country whose leader seems to antagonize other countries for the fun of it and wants to issue a travel ban on Muslims.

 

[Carolina Red]

The college stadiums are not up to FIFA standards though.

In what ways?

 

[Schneckerl]

Name one city in Europe that has a per capita GDP larger than the US ones I listed.

There is none.

Zürich, Oslo....?

What an embarrassing thing to be ignorant about. How can someone think freaking San Diego is has a higher GDP per capita than Zurich.

 

[Snow]

United should not be getting the World Cup. They elected a president that makes threats to smaller countries over that bid, that should be enough to exclude them.

 

[BBRBB]

In what ways?

They're decades to a century old, no cover for spectators, no VIP facilities or basically anything that you can find in state of the art stadiums. They can only rival modern football or NFL stadiums by their capacity.

 

[Carolina Red]

They're decades to a century old, no cover for spectators, no VIP facilities or basically anything that you can find in state of the art stadiums. They can only rival modern football or NFL stadiums by their capacity.

How many of these have you been to?