【明報專訊】Russia will for the first time host the FIFA World Cup finals in 2018. It defeated Belgium/Netherlands, England and Portugal/Spain. Members of England's bid team (including football star David Beckham) were stunned as the full extent of England's defeat became apparent.
Vladimir Putin said the Russians were honoured to win the tough and fair fight. To show their "sincerity", Putin promised Russia would scrap visas and provide fans with free public transport services during the event. To visit Russia, almost all people who are not former Soviet Union (前蘇聯) republic citizens must now apply for visas.
The FIFA Executive Committee also decided that Qatar (卡塔爾) should host the 2022 tournament. Former Belgian star Marc Wilmots thought the Russia and Qatar decisions were negative for football, saying, "Russia is a political choice and Qatar is an economic choice." US President Barack Obama even said the committee had made a "wrong decision" in giving Qatar the 2022 tournament.
