CULTURE: USA Flubs World Cup Pitch, and loses to Qatar!

Soccer's governing body chooses the country to host the 2022 World Cup today and the US (perhaps Seattle) is widely expected to win—despite a somewhat shambolic presentation yesterday. Bill Clinton's speech was long and rambling and Morgan Freeman accidentally skipped a page in his script, but Team USA star Landon Donovan hit the right note, the Guardian reports. "The World Cup captivated our country and something special happened this summer in our love for the game," the player told FIFA officials.

The US, which promises to deliver bumper profits, is competing against Qatar, which stresses heat won't be a problem; Japan, which promises to beam matches in 3D around the world; Australia, which promises a "no worries" World Cup; and South Korea, which says hosting the competition will help bring peace to the region. FIFA officials announced the results of the 2022 vote this morning and the winner is: Qatar! Good luck for 2026!