Posted by Stephen Kuzner

By Stephen Kuzner - WFD Fan Correspondent

So the World Cup is going to Russia and Qatar. Being an American La Liga addict, I had my heart broken twice. It kind of leaves you scratching your head at first. Putin decides to snub the voting by not coming and it has no impact. Qatar, a monarch of just over a million people, promises to essentially build and air-condition enough facilities to hold the World Cup in a desert and also build stadia that can be broken down afterward and donated to less fortunate countries. To my best estimation they are going to build the equivalent of a few cities all within a few miles of each other. Talk about an Oasis in a desert. This seems more like science-fiction than politics. The easy thing to do is scream corruption, greed, and graft. Not that I am denying that these things didn't happen, especially after all that is being discovered only a few days after the vote, but there is one thing Russia and Qatar understood very well...

Winning the privilege to host a World Cup is about seduction.

Seduction? What are you talking about Kuzner? This isn't a Dear Abby column! Sorry, but in whatever field you dwell professionally whether it politics, business, religion, science, etc, seduction is at play whenever you have to "woo" or court someone. You may need to court someone for a variety of reasons: to back your beliefs and opinions, buy your product or service, or vote for your legislation. People call this all sorts of things from relationship management to lobbying to influencing to selling. Regardless of what you call it, seduction is about getting someone to do what you want.

FIFA's process to decide who is going to host a World Cup is not democratic. There are twenty-some FIFA executives that vote in three rounds eliminating one country at a time until a winner is determined, unless someone wins an absolute majority. This is more like Survivor, Big Brother, or the Bachelorette. It's silly to call this process democratic. It's a reality-show with out the cameras. This sort of process is vulnerable to the sweet words of a suitor willing to say and promise anything to win a rose ... I mean someone's vote.

What did the voters want in a host nation: legacy, readiness, history, culture, potential revenue, or the ability to line their pockets? I don't know and would not believe what they say. However, I do know that they heard what they wanted to from Russia and Qatar whether it be over dinner, behind closed doors, or in presentations. Somewhere along the line, voters were seduced by words and promises of Russia and Qatar. They knew the voters' wants, needs, and desires better than the other courters.

Nevertheless, now that the votes have been cast and the accusations and recriminations have begun, I can accept the winners because both Russia and Qatar both have the potential to do something special. I won't accept that they are technically better that Spain and the US and definitely not England. As an American FC Barcelona supporter, I dreamt of Spain and the US. A great trip and a great stay at home. But, I am reminded of the feeling when I wasn't selected in a starting 11 knowing that I was streets ahead of the number 10 chosen before of me. Good luck Russia and Qatar, you've got a lot of work ahead of yourselves.


If you have feedback, email me at skuzner@gmail.com or Facebook me. During the club season, I write pieces related to La Liga on Tuesdays and articles about FC Barcelona on Fridays. During El Clásico, I only live, breath, and sleep El Clásico.