Russia was judged to have the strongest bid to host the 2018 World Cup, defeating competition from England, and joint bids by Spain and Portugal, and the Netherlands and Belgium.

The England campaign was backed by David Beckham, Prince William and Prime Minister David Cameron who were all in attendance to deliver a presentation that showcased England’s bid to the FIFA officials. But they were left in disappointment as it was revealed that England had been eliminated during the first round of voting!

The last World Cup to be held in England was in 1966, the year that they went on to win the biggest prize in international football. It is now likely that the earliest England can hope to host the World Cup is in 2030, which is when the tournament is next due to be held in a European country.

After the shock of England’s early elimination from the 2018 World Cup bid, there was further surprise when Qatar was voted as the hosts for the tournament in 2022. It will be the first time the World Cup has been hosted in a Middle Eastern country. Qatar faced competition from bids by Australia, Japan, South Korea and the United States.