Host countries for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups (of soccer) will be announced Thursday morning by FIFA in one of the most politically charged processes in memory. Amid allegations of vote swapping and favoritism, the body will select from England, Russia and Spain/Portual for the 2018 event and the U.S., Japan, South Korea, Qatar and Australia for 2022. Former President Bill Clinton has been among the group attempting to bring the World Cup back to the States for the second time. The U.S. last hosted in 1994. Brazil will host the 2014 competition.
Dallas will be among the potential host cities, should the U.S. win their bid. In September, the FIFA committee visited the area to scout sites. DFW boasts multiple potential venues, including the Cotton Bowl, which participated in 1994, and Pizza Hut Park, which has hosted the U.S. National Team and is the home of FC Dallas. But Cowboys Stadium, one of the premier sporting venues in the world, is the key to local involvement. It would be the site for any local World Cup games.
The announcement on the host of the 2022 Cup should come down around 9:00 a.m. central time. You can follow along with SBNation.com for the morning's developments, and we'll have word on the choices when they come down.