By Andrew Warshaw
November 9 – Former President Bill Clinton will be the United States’ chief figurehead at next month’s World Cup vote in Zurich.
Clinton was in office in 1994 when the US hosted the event for the only time and now serves as the 2022 bid’s honorary chairman.
“I’m pleased to stand on behalf of our nation for something as important and meaningful to the American people and citizens throughout the world as the FIFA World Cup,” Clinton said in a statement released by the USA Bid Committee.
“I am committed to this effort because I have seen first-hand the powerful unifying force of the FIFA World Cup, bringing together people of all ages, backgrounds and beliefs.
“The USA Bid Committee shares that commitment, and we look forward to expressing that commitment to the FIFA Executive Committee when we meet next month.”
Candidates for 2022 make their final 30-minute presentations on December 1, with 2018 contenders taking the stand on the morning of the December 2 vote itself.
In a statement, bid committee chairman Sunil Gulati described Clinton as “the perfect ambassador” as the USA seeks to overcome Australia, Qatar, Japan and South Korea.
“President Clinton’s leadership on behalf of our campaign has been extraordinary, and his passion for the game and our opportunity to host the World Cup is every bit as remarkable,” said Gulati.
“We are honoured that he will be with us in Zurich on December 1.”
Clinton represented the US during the World Cup in South Africa and has been working closely with the USA Bid Committee’s board of directors on a variety of initiatives to promote the bid both at home and overseas.
To what extent his presence in Zurich will make a difference to the final outcome remains to be seen.
Final presentations often prove decisive when voting patterns are tight but allegations of secret vote-trading collusion between Qatar and the 2018 bid of Spain/Portugal persist.
Both sides have vehemently denied any involvement and seem certain to be exonerated when FIFA’s Ethics Committee, charged with examining the claims, announces its findings on November 17.
Co-incidentally, Qatar is hosting a high-profile sports conference in Doha, designed in part to showcase its facilities, at exactly the time the Ethics Committee ruling is made.
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