Bidding and Hosting Decisions

This chapter discusses the bidding process and hosting decisions made by FIFA when organising its sport mega-events. It has been structured to include the review of the bidding processes for the World Cups, bidding process reforms, differences between successful and unsuccessful bids as well as the outlook for the future of bidding and hosting. Event bidding contests or “bidding wars” are viewed as mechanisms “whereby entrepreneurial cities engage in inter-urban competition to ensure they are visible to residents, visitors and investors”. The bid assessment involves evaluating the bidding nation's compliance with FIFA policies, risks, and technical capabilities. The popularity of the World Cup and associated bidding and hosting, has led to unprecedented levels of interest by countries, especially by emerging nations who use these events to consolidate a new national identity, for soft power gains and global (re)positioning. Additionally, sustainability, legacy and human rights will become even more significant aspects of future bidding and hosting.