David Beckham is positive that England will host the World Cup 2018 after visiting the London 2012 Olympic Stadium. Beckham said he was feeling “confident” that England could win this week’s World Cup vote in Zurich, although he stressed that he wasn’t taking the outcome for granted.
Beckham has been acting as an ambassador for England’s 2018 World Cup bid and will be heading to Zurich on Thursday as part of a 30-person delegation to bid for Fifa’s vote.
“Hopefully I will make a difference,” said Beckham. “There are many people, like Prince William, who have been involved and working hard for the bid and to get it to this final point.
“We are going to Fifa and a lot of delegates because we need to tell those people about why we feel it is the right thing for us to get the World Cup.
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“I feel that at the end of the day it is down to what the bid team have done. England have a history and tradition [in football] and it is about the benefits that can be generated by having the World Cup in England.”
Fears of an England World Cup backlash
The England World Cup 2018 team fears there could be a backlash against the bid from Fifa members unhappy with the British media after the Sunday Times exposed alleged corruption in the bidding process.
The paper claimed that Fifa executives Amos Adamu and Reynald Temarii asked for money in return for voting on World Cup hosting rights. Adamu has since been banned from football activity by Fifa for three years and Temarii for one.
Beckham refused to be drawn into the politics of the bid, simply saying: “I believe it will be a fair decision.”
Beckham’s Olympic Stadium visit
Today Beckham visited the 2012 Olympic Stadium in East London and told reporters it was a proud moment both because he hails from the East End and because it would be a beautiful stadium to ply football in.
“I think that maybe my sons have got a better chance than me (of playing in the Olympic Stadium) considering my age but as a stadium it is somewhere I would love to play in because you can see the atmosphere here already is great and there is no one in it, ” he said.
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“This is the first time I have been in the stadium area and been able to see the development of the stadium. When you drive up to it – it has obviously got that awe about it. It is a very proud moment, not just for myself but also for East End people, to be able to see the make over of the area.”
Football United
Beckham has fronted a cast of football’s famous and beautiful in a new film to boost the country’s chances of hosting the World Cup 2018.
The film showcases England’s proposal for a ‘Football United’ – a global fund for football, already backed by Fifa president Sepp Blatter.
The ‘Football United’ film stars England captains Rio Ferdinand and Steven Gerrard, Ghana players Michael Essien and Asamoah Gyan and Honduran midfielder Wilson Palacios.
Beckham’s dream
Seeing the World Cup 2018 played in England would be a dream come true, said Beckham. “Obviously it is something that people have worked hard for and quite a long time, and now it is up to the next few days. We are confident that we have put in the best bid that we can do.”
