Article:2018 or 2022?

This coming Monday sees an important deadline approaching. This Monday is the deadline by which international football federations have in order to announce their official interest in bidding to become the hosts of the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup Finals. The next two World Cups have already been set. The 2010 tournament will be hosted by South Africa, this is the first time the tournament will come to the African continent. The 2014 will see the World Cup Finals return to Brazil. The last time the World Cup was held in Brazil was in 1950. For United States Soccer fans that 1950 tournament was one to remember as the USA upset England 1-0 in a match played at Belo Horizonte.

Speculation is part of the fun of this process so here is a look at the potential hosts for the 21st and 22nd edition of the world's most popular sporting tournament.

A few countries have expressed interest in a joint bid. BENELUX, or Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg, have expressed interest and so has Spain and Portugal. FIFA President Sepp Blatter has been put on the record though that he is not in favor of joint bids. Keep in mind though that in 2002 Japan and Korea Republic co-hosted a very successful joint bid. Given the above list I just cannot see a joint bid being accepted by FIFA.