The Meaning of Russia 2018

International sporting events can ease or accentuate competition and cultural differences among nations. Major events like the World Cup have great symbolic and financial value, and scheduling is a competition in itself. Russia's selection for World Cup 2018, Qatar for 2022, demonstrates “the new post-credit-crisis geopolitical realities,” explains Peter Tasker for Newsweek, as “cash-rich powers of the emerging world easily outgunned the fiscally challenged members of the old G7.” In the end, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association favored high-growth emerging markets. Projected growth for Brazil, India, Russia and China over the next two decades is about five times that of the industrialized G7 nations. FIFA also showed a preference for nations with limited investigative reporting capabilities. Competition in economics or sports can be challenging when various teams do not play by the same rules. – YaleGlobal