The 2018 FIFA World Cup will be the 21st FIFA World Cup, an international men's football tournament, that is scheduled to take place in 2018 in Russia. The finals tournament will involve 32 national teams, including that of the host nation, assuming the current format of the finals is maintained. This will be the first World Cup held in Eastern Europe. The bidding procedure to host the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups began in January 2009, and national associations had until 2 February 2009 to register their interest. Initially, nine countries placed bids for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, but Mexico later withdrew from proceedings, and Indonesia's bid was rejected by FIFA in February 2010 after the Indonesian government failed to submit a letter to support the bid.[8] During the bidding process, the three remaining non-UEFA nations (Australia, Japan, and the United States) gradually withdrew from the 2018 bids, and the UEFA nations were thus ruled out of the 2022 bid. As such, there were eventually four bids for the 2018 FIFA World Cup: England, Russia, Netherlands/Belgium, and Spain/Portugal.
The twenty-two-member FIFA Executive Committee convened in Zürich on 2 December 2010 to vote to select the hosts of both tournaments. Russia won the right to be the 2018 host in the second round of voting. The Spain/Portugal bid came second, and that from Belgium/Netherlands third. England's bid to host its second tournament fell at the first hurdle. The qualification process for the 2018 World Cup has not yet been announced. All FIFA member associations, of which there are 209 as of March 2013, are eligible to enter qualification. Myanmar, having successfully appealed against a ban from the competition for crowd trouble during a 2014 World Cup qualifying tie against Oman, will be obliged to play all their 'home' matches outside the country. Russia, as hosts, qualify for the tournament automatically. The qualifying draw will take place in Saint Petersburg on 25 July 2015.
The twenty-two-member FIFA Executive Committee convened in Zürich on 2 December 2010 to vote to select the hosts of both tournaments. Russia won the right to be the 2018 host in the second round of voting. The Spain/Portugal bid came second, and that from Belgium/Netherlands third. England's bid to host its second tournament fell at the first hurdle. The qualification process for the 2018 World Cup has not yet been announced. All FIFA member associations, of which there are 209 as of March 2013, are eligible to enter qualification. Myanmar, having successfully appealed against a ban from the competition for crowd trouble during a 2014 World Cup qualifying tie against Oman, will be obliged to play all their 'home' matches outside the country. Russia, as hosts, qualify for the tournament automatically. The qualifying draw will take place in Saint Petersburg on 25 July 2015.
