FIFA is not a transparent organisation. But it is the organisation, nonetheless, that decides which nations deserve the right to host its flagship tournament, the World Cup. In a break from tradition FIFA decided to announce the recipients of the 2018 and 2022 tournaments simultaneously in Zurich on Thursday; Russia and Qatar, two nations which have never hosted a World Cup and which have survived relatively unscathed from the global economic downturn, were plucked from the envelope in Sepp Blatter's hands and now work begins in both regions to have stadiums, hospitality, public transport and security up to scratch before the beginning of the competitions.
