On December 2, 2010, FIFA president Sepp Blatter stunned the world with the announcement of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup Hosts - Russia and Qatar.

Russia, a first-time host, beat out from favorites England, as well as, Spain/Portugal and Holland/Belgium to win the 2018 bid, while the tiny desert nation of Qatar, edged out formidable competitors like the United States, Australia, Japan and South Korea for the 2022 World Cup.

The decision was even more mind-boggling given that England, the motherland of soccer had garnered high technical marks during FIFA's evaluation earlier this year and, made an impressive presentation described by FIFA's President as 'excellent and remarkable.'

However, it seems that while England's last ditch attempts were impressive, Russia's strong campaign over the past two years was more effective in swaying the committee, especially after they agreed to build all the World Cup venues on the European side of the country to ease transportation woes. Also attributing to Russia's success are eight-year-old twin brothers Maxim and Artyom Shpinyov, whose portrayal as a young soccer player called Sasha in a promotional video filmed by the Russian authorities, touched the hearts of many people all over the world, including it seems, those of the selection committee.

Qatar, who has never even qualified for the World Cup was an even bigger surprise, especially given the fact that their strongest opponent was United States, who put up a real valiant effort. How did this tiny country do it? By promising to combat the high summer temperatures with thirteen air-conditioned outdoor stadiums expected to cost $4 billion, as well as, spending an additional $50 billion on infrastructure upgrades. Also, following the 2022 World Cup, Qatar has promised to dismantle the stadiums built especially for the tournament and donate them to needy countries.

While FIFA's choices may be not what had been expected and has led to some disappointment especially in soccer-crazy Britain, it just embodies the global nature of the game and its power to unite people all over the world - Even those that are not avid soccer fans!

Source: espn.com