By Buford Balony
The 2022 World Cup count ended in humiliation for Australia, as they exited in the opening round in Zurich with just one vote.
The Australian team approached the final day brimming with confidence about clinching the world’s premier sporting event, only to face heartbreaking disappointment instead.
Out of the 22 possible votes, Australia received merely one, and even the absence of the Oceania vote would not have advanced the country to the next round.
Wealthy Qatar overcame a scathing evaluation report from FIFA regarding the extreme heat in June and July, to secure the 2022 tournament.
Last month, Qatar was exonerated in a FIFA inquiry concerning allegations of vote swapping with Spain and Portugal, both of whom had also bid for 2018.
In the fourth round of the 2022 voting, Qatar triumphed against the USA with 14 votes to 8, marking it as the first nation in the Middle East to host the World Cup.
Frank Lowy, the leader of the Australian bid, expressed his devastation before the votes were announced.
“What can I say about Australia? I can only express my deep disappointment,” he remarked.
“I feel disappointed for you that we weren’t able to secure the 2022 World Cup, but what can we do?
“We did everything we could, and I believe there was nothing more we could have done.”
This billionaire has made it his personal mission to bring the World Cup to Australia, vowing to continue his fight for the sport.
“The sun will rise again tomorrow,” he stated.
“Australia is waiting for us, and the future holds great promise for Australia as well as for our game, although we may have lost a bit of momentum.
“We must strive to recover it. I am not one to back down. While this battle may have been lost, there remain countless more battles to win.”
This outcome represents a blow to soccer in Australia, even though the voting process and FIFA’s history of corruption will likely come under intense scrutiny shortly.
During the 2018 selection, England (with two votes) was also eliminated in the initial round, which ultimately saw Russia claim the win, and it is expected that their media will not be forgiving about their dismal results.
In Australia, the AFL, NRL, and Australian Rugby Union will surely be trying their best not to revel too much in the verdict from Switzerland.
Prior to the voting, the 80-year-old Lowy stated that he didn’t expect to be alive to see Australia host a World Cup if they missed the opportunity on Thursday.
No need to worry about Lowy missing the chance to witness a World Cup on home turf; many of us may not be around to see this quadrennial event in Australia at all.
Given that the event now rotates among Europe, the Americas, and Africa, Asia gets its turn at best only every third World Cup.
By this estimation, Australia’s next genuine opportunity might come with the 2034 or 2038 tournaments.
By that time, nations such as China, Japan, and South Korea could have strong bids, and perhaps even India.
The path ahead is unlikely to become any easier.
World Cup Voting
2018
Round 1: England 2 votes, Netherlands/Belgium 4 votes, Spain/Portugal 7 votes, and Russia 9 votes (since no absolute majority was obtained, the candidate with the fewest votes, England, was eliminated)
Round 2: Netherlands/Belgium 2 votes, Spain/Portugal 7 votes, and Russia 13 votes (Russia achieved an absolute majority)
2022
Round 1: Australia 1 vote, Japan 3 votes, Korea Republic 4 votes, Qatar 11 votes, USA 3 votes (Australia eliminated)
Round 2: Japan 2 votes, Korea Republic 5 votes, Qatar 10 votes, and USA 5 votes (Japan eliminated)
Round 3: Korea Republic 5 votes, Qatar 11 votes, USA 6 votes (Korea Republic eliminated)
Round 4: Qatar 14 votes, USA 8 votes (Qatar obtained an absolute majority)
Buford Balony says: It’s astonishing that both the 2018 and 2022 tournaments were given to nations that no one desires to visit. My prediction is that Qatar will host the worst and least attended cup in history, shifting the soccer World Cup from the title of the biggest sporting event globally down to the 4th. I won’t be attending this tournament, as there will be a limited supply of beverages, and in 50-degree heat, I will need a considerable amount.
