Canada's potential to host the World Cup

[Martyr]

Just thought my fellow Voyageurs might be interested in an off-hand comment made by football journalist Gabriele Marcotti on The Times (London) The Game podcast this week.

http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/

In commenting on the issue of Chuck Blazer's opposition to the decision by FIFA to discontinue World Cup rotation policy he says that Canada would not be a contender, even in CONCACAF, to host as it is "too cold and nobody lives there".

Anyone that would like to join me in trying to get Marcotti to take back this comment would be welcome on the Times Online Comments section.

http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2007/10/rijkaard-parlou.html#comments

[Gian-Luca]

Which part of Baffin Island does he think is going to host the tourney?

[Cheeta]

[?]

And the 1% of the population of South Africa which can afford to go to matches are going to make 2010 a roaring success are they?

O-key do-key.

I'm sure it was all it's all in good fun. And honestly I don't think many people, ignorant or otherwise, list any part of Canada as one of their top 25 must go to places in their life time. (I think you'll find though, that's absolutely not true of foreigners who've already been here. A great many are bananas to come back).

But don't go and start anything. I think we're better off just flying quietly under the radar for now until our secret plans for world domination have matured and then BLAMM!!! Marcotti's 1st against the wall....

Not so funny now are yeh, Funny Man?

[JB_Tito]

WC 2011 goes to Germany

[Martyr]

Canada must now be favourite to host the Women's World Cup in 2015.

I think Marcotti's comment got my goat because the whole World U20's tourney was completely ignored in England. How would anyone simply dismiss Canada's chances at hosting the big one in that manner if they even had a clue what happened there over the summer? Certainly if FIFA's rotation policy had continued and CONCACAF was to host the Men's World Cup in 2018 Canada would have had a strong case as both the US and Mexico have already had their turn. It's not like we don't have the infrastructure. Certainly we are in a better position to host than South Africa was before they were awarded 2010.

Let England have 2018 if they want. That means there will be no competition from Europe or South America for 2022. We should go for it then.

I've been trying to leave a comment on The Game podcast page of the site but some security feature is blocking me. So I've posted my 2 cents under his most recent column.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/columnists/gabriele_marcotti/article2759457.ece if you are interested.

[TOcanadafan]

I think we would have lost out to another US bid for 2018. Unfortunately, the US will always trump Canada if they have interest. I expect that FIFA as a whole views Canada and the US as the same - countries where football isn't #1; but FIFA would always choose the US over Canada as the advertising and TV money that they could gain would be substantially more. Yes, Canada would put on a better event than South Africa, but they had never been to Africa. Besides, we actually need to qualify a few times and build a solid infrastructure (and I don't mean just stadiums) before we can even think about a bid.

[Martyr]

Just to follow up on this... at the very end of this week's The Game Podcast... Gabriele Marcotti very graciously apologised for his previous remark about Canada. He made it seem like several people complained - so thanks to anyone that emailed their comments!