Russia will host the 2018 World Cup - here PA Sport's chief reporter Martyn Ziegler looks at the strengths and weaknesses of the successful bid.
STRENGTHS
::A new territory for the World Cup - something which appeals strongly to FIFA president Sepp Blatter.
::Carried out an impressive campaign with lobbyists with excellent FIFA connections.
::Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's political clout was a major plus even though he did not attend the vote.
::Huge building programme would leave a fantastic legacy from a World Cup.
WEAKNESSES
::Judged a medium operational risk by FIFA's inspectors and air transport a high risk.
::Huge building programme carries its own challenges.
::Enormous size of the country not great for fans.
::Struggled to shake off impression that racism among Russian fans is a problem.
::Putin skipping the announcement in Zurich could have been considered a snub.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies