MEET THE BID: SPAIN/PORTUGAL 2018

Thanksgiving holiday led us to push this post back a little bit, but that just means a little more concentrated commentary in the next days before the winning bids are announced. Now, let's get to Spain/Portugal's bid:

Tagline: (I've looked for a while, can't find one)

What the Tagline Should Be: The Iberian Peninsula is SOOOOooooooOOOO hot right now we don't even need a tagline.

You Tube Plea:

Pros: As the promotional video suggests, Spain and Portugal are very beautiful countries, full of very attractive people who like futbol very very much. Undoubtedly the popularity of futbol among the people who live in Spain and Portugal ensures that (unlike the swathes of empty seats around South Africa this year) every match will be a sell out. Moreover, the futbol played on the peninsula is also incredibly popular around the world. The domestic leagues, especially the Madrid/Barcelona matches, draw a global audience (it's huge in Seoul). Then there's the intense popularity of midfielder/professional-tabloid-headline Christiano Renaldo (young enough to be my son, pretty enough to be my daughter). And finally...you might recall that the Spaniards won the world cup this summer, especially if you know or have met any Spanish citizen...anywhere.

Cons: It's great that Iberian soccer is hot right now, but what the hell difference does right now make in 8 years when Real Madrid has imploded like Lehman Brothers, and Christiano Ronaldo retires and turns into fat Elvis? There's also the fact that FIFA has said they don't want to have joint hosts again (In 2002, Korea and Japan hosted like a couple that broke-up right before hosting a New Years party). Oh, and the fact that bid officials have been accused of swapping votes with the Qatari bid officials (Scandal...no es bueno!) And finally, there's the financial situation of both countries. While Iberian soccer might cool off, Iberian financial distress is just heating up. (If economists are proven correct, a Spain/Portugal world cup might end up being as smart a move as Greece/Ireland....ZING--ECONOMIC JOKE!!)

Summary: Throughout that promotional video I kept thinking: "I want to go to Spain and Portugal"...the bid organizers are basically counting on that sentiment and a few Ronaldo smiles to sway the voters.

Chances: Don't get me wrong, Ronaldo's smile has led to the polar ice-caps melting, but I just think there's too much stacked against them to make the bid a favorite.

Next time on Meet the Bid: England 2018 ("Okay, this isn't funny anymore, give us the World Cup again!")