Qatar hosting the 2022 World cup has been a controversial decision, to say the least.
From allegations of bribery in the FIFA selection process to the death of migrant workers and criticism of the country’s violations of human rights and position on LGBTQ+ issues, this year’s World Cup has been about so much more than football.
Qatar hosting the tournament has also meant the games are being played in autumn/winter rather than the traditional summer window, causing the likes of the Premier League to hit pause.
The tournament takes place every four years and the 2026 competition will return to having games in the summer. But when did England last host the World Cup?
Here is everything you need to know…
When did England last host the World Cup?
It has been over 50 years since England last hosted the World Cup, with the country last playing host in 1966.
Incidentally, that was also the last time that the England national team won the World Cup.
The England team faced West Germany in London’s Wembley Stadium on July 30, 1966.
It was a match for the history books, as Geoff Hurst scored the only ever World Cup final hat-trick to help England win the game 4-2.
England has attempted to host the World Cup on a couple of occasions since but lost out in the bidding process each time.
They lost out to Germany in their bid to host the 2006 FIFA World Cup and more recently were unsuccessful in a bid to host the 2018 World Cup, which ended up being held in Russia.
Where is the next World Cup being held?
The 2026 World Cup is being co-hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico.
The pan-North American World Cup will feature 16 cities across the continent and is the first time the three countries have shared hosting duties for the same tournament.
The host for the 2030 World Cup is yet to be decided, but a bid has already been abandoned by the United Kingdom and Ireland after the football associations across the countries decided to focus on a bid for Euro 2028 instead.
MORE : Piers Morgan jets off to Qatar World Cup in first class after slamming ‘virtue-signalling’ around human rights concerns
MORE : Sir Michael Parkinson calls Fifa boss ‘beyond redemption’ during scathing attack on World Cup 2022: ‘Let him crawl away and wither’
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