The FIFA World Cup men’s tournament now rotates from continent to continent:
In 2002, Asia first hosted (Japan/Korea), then 2006 to Europe (Germany). In 2010, the first African nation ever to host will be South Africa, and in 2014, South Americans want it, with Brazil as the clear favorite (FIFA announcing choice next year) . That would bring the finals to North America for 2018…

Even though there have been 3 FIFA World Cups for the men since USA hosted in ‘94, and even though those subsequent finals tournaments had each expanded to more matches, the USA-hosted finals still holds the all-time attendance record: 3.5 million spectators… Here is a late Tuesday story from AP on U.S. Soccer’s plans for 2018:

(AP) - The United States intends to bid for the 2018 World Cup, hoping to return soccer’s quadrennial championship to the country that produced the highest attendance in the event’s history.
“A lot of things make it attractive. In U.S. soccer many things have happened over the last couple of decades: the success in ‘94 is a great starting point and everything since then,” U.S. Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati said Tuesday.

“All of the reasons FIFA chose the U.S. in ‘94 have been validated: the growth of sport in the U.S. has been terrific since then; the number of potential venues in the U.S. has grown exponentially since then; world class stadiums; infrastructure; growth of the game; we’re much more involved in the international soccer scene than 20 years ago.”

Gulati said the federation’s board planned to discuss the idea with its members at its annual general meeting this weekend in Los Angeles, and form a committee to go forward.

“I think we can put on a spectacular event,” Gulati said. “Obviously it would be a big boost for the sport, as it is in any country that hosts the World Cup.”

FIFA chose the United States in 1988 to stage the 1994 World Cup, drawing rebuke from many who thought that the country did not deserve the tournament because its of relative lack of history in the game and that it would be poorly attended.

However, the tournament drew a record 3.5 million for the 24-team, 52-game event, a mark that still stands despite the fact that the World Cup increased immediately after 1994 to a 32-team, 64-game competition.

The 2010 World Cup is scheduled for South Africa while Brazil and Colombia are interested in hosting the 2014 tournament, which is assured under a rotation policy of being in South America that year.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has said that if South America was not able to present a viable bid, the world body would look north.

“This is about 2018,” Gulati said. “Of course we’d be open to looking at 2014 if that were the case.”

Gulati also dismissed any notion of positioning the United States to replace South Africa, which many critics have said will not be ready to stage the event in three years.

“I firmly believe all systems are go for South Africa,” he said. “This has absolutely nothing to do with 2010. Our only concern for 2010 is that our team qualifies and does well when we get there.”