Russia & Qatar will host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups
Baku, December 2 (AZERTAC). Russia has been chosen to host the 2018 World Cup and Qatar has been selected to stage the 2022 tournament.
The Russian bid was picked ahead of England, Spain-Portugal and Holland-Belgium to host the 2018 event.
Qatar got the better of the United States, Australia, Japan and South Korea to stage 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 is 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.
Putin`s promise to scrap visa`s was seen as crucial to his country`s prospects of winning the vote as nationals of almost all countries outside the former Soviet Union require the paperwork to visit Russia.
In addition, Russia`s plan for construction works and improving facilities in host cities fit Fifa`s long-term plans of developing the sport, especially in regions with outdated infrastructure.
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