[WORLD CUP 2018/22 BIDS] Former President Bill Clinton, who will lead the U.S. delegation that will made its presentation to the FIFA executive committee next week, sets out his case for USA '22 ...

In an essay that appears online at si.com, Clinton makes four key arguments for FIFA returning the World Cup to the USA in 2022:

1. The level of enthusiasm for the game has never been greater across America, noting the USA was second only to South Africa in tickets purchased for the 2010 World Cup.

2. America's mix of ethnicities and cultures mean players from competing countries will feel as though "they were playing a home game right here in the United States."

3. The 2022 World Cup will stimulate soccer's economic growth "with greater television and sponsorship rights, increased franchise and team values and greater investment in player development."

4. Most important, the U.S. World Cup will support the World Cup of Life campaign, a project aimed at providing drinking water for millions in the developing world, and set new standards in environmental responsibility.