• World Cup

World Cup D-Day: The contenders

On Thursday, the great and good of football, or what passes for such a category at present, assembles in Zurich to decide which countries will be bestowed with the honour of hosting the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

After months of fierce campaigning - as well as a depressing portion of revelations, allegations, suspensions and accusations - 22 members of FIFA's executive committee will clamber into their seats and watch final candidacy presentations from the nine contenders.

But which countries are leading the race and which are lagging behind ahead of the all-important vote? ESPNsoccernet profiles the bids ahead of FIFA's decision day.

England (2018)

David Beckham has bolstered England's bid © PA Photos

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For: As Sepp Blatter himself has stated, "England can organise the World Cup tomorrow", boasting as it does a collection of world-class stadia and the necessary infrastructure to deliver a major tournament. England has also scored high in economic terms, with impressive revenue projections that would bode well for FIFA's balance sheet, and there are absolutely no fears over demands on transport and technology. Simply put: England is a safe choice, and by dispatching its big guns - David Cameron, Prince William and David Beckham - to Zurich, the bid team will hope to convince the exco members to choose the obvious option.

Against: Investigations from England's prying media have led to the suspension of two FIFA exco members and levelled serious allegations against a further four men who will vote in Zurich. Both FIFA and England's bid team have criticised the investigations by the Sunday Times and Panorama and, in FIFA's secretive cloisters, such intrusiveness will not play well. England also fails to fulfil the 'legacy' aspect of FIFA's requirements as its domestic football is already a shiny, commercially-successful product.

Chances: Ever-decreasing. Exposes by the British media have caused resentment amongst FIFA exco members and if England hoped it could count on the three votes controlled by CONCACAF president Jack Warner, it may have to think again following fresh allegations levelled in his direction by the BBC. England was also hoping to court votes from Africa, but FIFA vice-president Issa Hayatou of Cameroon was fingered in the Panorama probe. England is very much an "underdog", according to bid chief Andy Anson.

Netherlands/Belgium (2018)

For: Ambassador Ruud Gullit says the joint bid is presenting itself as the environmentally-friendly choice, and insisting that a tournament in Netherlands/Belgium would be "the greenest World Cup ever." The bid, which is strong on overall infrastructure, has also not been tainted by any accusations of corruption and is attempting to depict itself as the "clean" choice for an organisation beset by allegations. Having never hosted a World Cup, the countries that gave the tournament Johan Cruyff and Enzo Scifo also present a legacy opportunity for FIFA, with Blatter describing it as a "small but very pleasant" option.

Ruud Gullit is involved with the Netherlands/Belgium bid © Getty Images

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Against: Netherlands/Belgium has been graded a medium legal risk, while all other European bids have been graded as low, due to a lack of "government guarantees". FIFA is also known to favour a single host country where possible, although this has seemingly not prevented Spain/Portugal from becoming a strong option. The bid has struggled to depict itself as anything other than a rank outsider.

Chances: Slim to none. Netherlands/Belgium is the 33/1 outsider and is struggling to secure a powerbase of votes. Hopes exist that members from Europe and Africa could be swayed, but FIFA is about as likely to announce a new era of transparency as give the World Cup to the Low Countries.

Russia (2018):

For: Russia's powerful state can deliver all of FIFA's expectations in terms of government guarantees. With formidable political support, there are no budgetary concerns and Russia's bid has worked hard to make friends and influence people. Amongst all the 2018 bids, Russia offers the greatest opportunity for a lasting legacy and sending the World Cup east would represent a new frontier being breached for FIFA - something that appeals greatly to the organisation. Blatter has said the Russian bid is "remarkable" and that "Russia has big plans to expand".

Against: FIFA's inspectors graded the bid as a medium operational risk as extensive investment is still needed in infrastructure, while the lengthy distances between host cities has seen air transport rated as a high risk. Russia's bid has also been dogged by spats with England's, while it has struggled to shake off accusations that racism remains a residual problem amongst Russian fans, especially following the banner from Lokomotiv Moscow supporters that abused Peter Odemwingie following his move to West Brom. As the ballot day nears, it is also reported that Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will not travel to Zurich, which may weaken the bid's last-gasp lobbying.

Chances: Currently the favourite to win FIFA's nomination, the Russian bid has been working hard to court bids from across the globe and could have support in key areas. It is reported that Germany's influential exco representative, Franz Beckenbauer, has pledged his vote to the Russian team while Asia could provide a strong source of backing, meaning Russia could already have as many as eight votes in the bag.

Fernando Hierro addresses the media © Getty Images

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Spain/Portugal (2018):

For: As home to the reigning world and European champions, and with Barcelona and Real Madrid dominating debate at club level, Spain is currently the primary force in football culture. As federation sporting director Fernando Hierro put it: "Being world champions could help [FIFA] to give us the World Cup." There is no question that the Spain/Portugal bid fulfils the requirements laid down by FIFA as its technical report was glowing, equalling England's, while existing infrastructure and impressive transport links are also attractive. Furthermore, a surfeit of hotels in a peninsula that is a favourite holiday destination means Spain/Portugal is another low risk option.

Against: A worrying passage in FIFA's report read: "A clear operational concept has not been specified for safety and security.'' Spain/Portugal also suffers from being a joint bid - though chief executive Miguel Angel Lopez says "the two cultures are in fact siblings" - and with La Liga pre-eminent at present and Portugal hosting Euro 2004, it is hard to make the case for a lasting legacy. The bid was beset by allegations of collusion with Qatar's 2022 bid, while serious economic problems in the two countries could also be cause for concern. The campaign waged by the bid has been strangely low-key compared to its rivals.

Chances: Strong. Though it is third favourite at present with the bookmakers, as Lopez put it, "all the fish are sold", and Spain/Portugal could be counting on as many as eight votes already. It is a strong likelihood that the three South American votes will be cast in their favour while Qatar's Asian Football Confederation president Mohamed Bin Hammam was recently forced to deny quotes attributed to him in which he said that he would back Iberia. Support could also come from South Korea and Turkey.

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