FIFA shocked the world today by selecting Russia and Qatar to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, respectively. The US was widely considered the favorite to host in 2022, reports the AP, while Russia was considered a long shot against England, Spain-Portugal and Belgium-Netherlands. Vladimir Putin, who was heralded as the "team captain" of Russia's bid, declined to even show up and make a pitch in Zurich. (More Russia stories.)