By Andrew Warshaw in Cape Town
December 4 – The bidding war for the 2018 World Cup burst into controversy today when the official United States presentation was interrupted by the arrival of Spain and Portugal’s main ambassadors.
On the day when the bidding began in earnest at a high-profile media fair, with all 10 candidates jostling the attention under a cavernous marquee in the grounds of a Cape Town Government building, US officials were furious when their video screening was interrupted by the appearances of Fernando Hierro and Luis Figo.
“There’s an element of fair play in our sport,” Major League Soccer Commissioner Dan Garber said after what was viewed as a major embarrassment.
“That was bad form.”
Hierro, who, like Figo, captained his country, said their arrival was not deliberately timed to deflect attention away from the American presentation.
“It wasn’t our fault,” Hierro said.
“It was a transport problem.
“We were waiting for our car and it was delayed.
“That’s why we were late.”
England, by contrast, made it clear that they had deliberately scheduled David Beckham’s glitzy appearance for after the end of all 10 bid screenings.
“We decided that David should come after all the videos had been shown,” Simon Johnson, the bid’s chief operating officer, said.
Miguel Galan, a spokesman for the Spanish bid, apologised about the timing of Figo’s arrival.
“I’m so sorry,” Galan said.
“It was not intentional.”
England’s bid officials were clearly delighted with the impact Beckham had made after so much internal sniping that threatened to derail the whole process.
“When we get our act together, we can put on a formidable performance,” said bid chief executive Andy Anson.
No one has been able to quite figure out why Spain have linked up with Portugal. Holland and Belgium is understandable – two small central European nations who need each other to make one creditable bid.
But why Spain AND Portugal?
“We are much stronger with Portugal and a far stronger candidate,” said Figo, not entirely convincingly.
“Figo played with Beckham at Real Madrid and against him at two European Championships.
“Now he finds himself opposing Beckham on the sports politics front.
“I hope he makes the England World Cup team next summer because he’s experienced and you never lose the quality.
“But for 2018?
“I obviously hope I beat him!”
The Americans are doing their best to convince FIFA that joint bids are not the way forward but their own case for staging the tournament - best stadiums and a commercial windfall - is hardly powerful enough compared those of some of the European bids.
It is understood the Americans may decide to eventually go for 2022 and do a quid-pro-quo voting deal with Europe for 2018.
Maybe siding with England since it was noticeable just how pally the two camps were today, just as they are at political level.
The one Continent that could mess up the entire equation is Asia though their planning is not altogether on an even keel.
Indonesia, Japan, South Korea and Qatar all favour 2022 over 2018.
Qatar have mounted a powerful challenge with plenty of cash at their disposal and some clever marketing.
But only one Asian country will get the nod, if at all, for the two World Cups and Australia look to have perhaps the most obvious case.
The Aussie video screening yesterday was fresh and fun – and so was their stand.
But their actual bid is deadly serious.
With Korea and Japan having staged the tournament in 2002, the Aussies are the last remaining uncharted territory not to have held the World Cup.
Australian Sports Minister Kate Ellis was bullish in the extreme, even shrugging off the Beckham syndrome.
“We have A$45 million (£25 million) of Government funding on the table and are willing to do everything to show the rest of the world that we are deadly serious,” she said.
“England may have David Beckham here.
“We have eight smiling enthusiastic young football-loving children.”
Ellis rejected claims that kickoff times wouldn’t suit the highly coveted European television markets if the tournament is staged down under.
“We think we can overcome that.
“We did so with the Sydney Olympics at a time when the rest of the world tuned in.
“We think we can do it with the World Cup too.”
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