Russia and Qatar have been chosen to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cup tournaments respectively. The Russian bid was picked ahead of England, Spain-Portugal and Holland-Belgium’s to host the 2018 event. Qatar got the better of the United States(US), Australia, Japan and South Korea to stage it in 2022.
Both decisions were made on Thursday following a secret ballot of football's world governing body, FIFA’s 22 executive members in Zurich.
It was the first time that either Russia or Qatar has been chosen as host nation for the World Cup. "You have entrusted us with the FIFA World Cup for 2018 and I can promise, we all can promise, you will never regret it," said Russian deputy prime minister, Igor Shuvalov. "Let us make history together."
Russia's selection comes despite the absence of Prime Minister, Valdimir Putin, from the vote in Switzerland.
The 58-year-old had been expected to be a prominent figurehead for the Russian bid in the final days of campaigning but instead remained in Moscow.
He is now expected to fly to Zurich to thank FIFA for what he described as "a sign of trust" for his country.
"I would like to assure the FIFA leadership that we will do everything possible to ensure that the 2018 football World Cup is staged at a deserving level," he added in a televised interview.
Qatar's Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, was in attendance in Zurich, and he thanked FIFA for "believing in change".
The tiny oil-rich Gulf state, with a population of just over a million, will be the first Middle East country to host a major sporting event, and a central crux of her bid centred on boosting the region's global profile.
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