2014 World Cup Favorites

Either Spain or Argentina.

Yes!!! I miss the World Cup!! I miss all the talk about it and all the parties when your team won, and just how excited everybody gets about it in general!!
I also miss summer, and the music festivals and the warm nights…
Summer's coming to an end so quickly 🙁
Fortunately, next summer is only a year away. Unfortunately, the next World Cup is 4 years away 🙁

The 2014 World Cup was promised to South America to compensate for them giving a half-spot to Oceania to give them a full berth, back in 2002. The half-spot decision was subsequently reversed in 2003, with the Oceania winner once again required to play a sudden death tie with the fifth-placed South American team. Australia (Oceania winner) responded to this by getting revenge on Uruguay (5th South America) and qualifying anyway, doing so for the first time in 32 years.

Australia could put this forward as a case as to why South America should not be automatically promised the World Cup. FFA has already stated that the South Pacific has not yet hosted a World Cup.

Australia has many stadiums and could host a football tournament successfully at short notice if an emergency were to arise in the allocated host country.

Sydney and Brisbane have good rectangular fields, likely to have three venues between them. However, this isn't the case in Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth or the regional centres that may be allocated some smaller matches (Launceston, Cairns, Darwin). In Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth, matches would probably be staged on these cities' cricket ovals. Although the crowd would be some distance from the field, it would be not much more than your typical athletics field. For Australia's group matches and the final it would be a tussle between rectangular Telstra Stadium (83,000) in Sydney and the Melbourne Cricket Ground (95,000) – those capacities are somewhat enviable throughout the world (what can I say, Aussies love their sport!)

It's unlikely funds would be allocated to construct new grounds, though some may be upgraded (temporarily or permanently).

If the powerful South Americans get their way for 2014, FFA has indicated they will bid for 2018. In any case FFA will be bidding for the 2011 Asian Cup. Considering the other two nations bidding for that one are Iran and India, we stand a good chance.