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Russia and Qatar were able to set themselves apart enough from the rest of the World Cup bidders to get FIFA’s vote Thursday. Russia will host the tournament in 2018 and Qatar in 2022. Here are five things they did right.
Qataris and foreigners residing in Doha gather around a cake as they celebrate at Souk Waqif in Doha on Dec. 2, after the announcement that Qatar will host the 2022 World Cup. (Fadi Al-Assaad/Reuters)
Get touchy feely
There’s no shortage of sentiment about what a sporting event like the World Cup can do for people, both regionally and globally. FIFA needs to believe that a World Cup tournament in a given country will benefit mankind.
Highlighting its vastness, and arguing for what the World Cup could do to unify people within the country, Russia also portrayed the Cup as an opportunity to show the world “the richness of our cultures, the beauty of our natural wonders, and the warmth of our people,” according to the country’s bid brochure.
Qatar is the first country in the Middle East to host the tournament, and they successfully framed their World Cup as a beacon of cross-cultural cooperation and understanding.
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