Next FIFA tournaments awarded

On Thursday 3 March 2011 at the Home of FIFA in Zurich, the FIFA Executive Committee selected host nations for various FIFA tournaments set to take place in the years 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015. The FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup 2012 was awarded to Uzbekistan, the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2013 to Turkey, the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2013 to the United Arab Emirates, the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2014 to Costa Rica, the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2015 to Chile, and the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2015 to New Zealand, while both the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup 2014 and the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2015 went to Canada.

HEADQUARTERS

Medellin: Known as the City of Everlasting Spring, Medellin is the capital of Colombia’s Antioquia department. Founded on 2 November 1675 it is currently home to some 2,223,000 inhabitants, making it the country’s second-largest city.

With its extensive cultural and event infrastructure, the city generates considerable business tourism and has hosted the likes of the 2008 General Assembly of the Organisation of American States, and the 50th Annual Meeting of the Boards of Governors of the Inter-American Development Bank.It’s location in the scenic Aburra valley make it an excellent starting point for eco-tourism in the nearby foothills. Just minutes from the city limits, you can find wonderful colonial architecture in its traditional Antioquian villages, many of which have their own micro-climates.

Barranquilla: is one of Colombia’s best-known cities and is the capital of the province of Atlantico. Situated in the north of the country, on the Caribbean coast, it sits on the western bank of the Magdalena River, some 7.5 kilometres from the point where it empties into the sea, and has a dry, tropical climate. It is not known when Barranquilla was founded, although it gained city status on 7 April 1813.

Barranquilla enjoyed great economic development in the late 19th/early 20th century, when it became known as “Colombia’s Golden Port” due to its status as a trading post through which travellers and goods from all over the world would pass.

Bogota: is the capital of Colombia and one of the largest cities in Latin America, with a population of over seven million. Bogota has plenty to offer in the way of leisure, entertainment and sport as well. Home to no fewer than 5,200 parks, it also hosts a Sunday recreational cycling event that takes place on a 100-kilometre circuit around the city, not to mention the Festival de Verano - Colombia’s largest outdoor leisure festival - first held in 1997.El Parque Simon Bolivar, South America’s largest city park can also be found here. Covering 360 hectares and comprising a variety of different facilities and attractions, it is a meeting point for Bogota’s families and sports lovers.

Santiago de Cali: shortened to ‘Cali’ by most Colombians, is the capital of the Valle del Cauca department and the country’s third largest city. Situated in western Colombia at 1,000 metres above sea-level, it has a population of roughly 2.5 million people, a total area of 564 km² and an average temperature of 25 degrees.Cali is often referred to as ‘Colombia’s Sporting Capital’, due to it benefitting from the best recreational facilities in the country. The city has hosted an array of top-level national and international sporting events, including the 1971 Pan-American Games.

Cartagena de Indias: Is the capital of the Bolivar department and the fifth largest urban centre in Colombia. Founded on 1 June 1533 by Pedro De Heredia, the old colonial-walled city was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1984, before becoming a designated Cultural and Tourism District seven years later.Cartagena is a city of immense and diverse culture, combining aspects of its African, indigenous and Spanish roots. Its array of folk music and dances, with their traditional and modern influences, are hugely popular among both Colombian and overseas visitors. The annual Classical Music Festival is also internationally famous, as is its yearly Hay Festival, now considered the continent’s premier literary fair.
 

Manizales: Known as the ‘City of Open Doors’, Manizales is the capital of Colombia’s Caldas department. Nestled in the Cordillera Central mountain range, it forms part of the Paisa region and the renowned Colombian coffee-growers axis. Founded in 1849, the city is currently going through a period of economic, industrial and cultural growth, which has in turn led to an increase in tourist numbers. It has a population of almost 387,000.Theatre, symphonies, ballet, concerts and sporting events, all featuring some of the world’s most famous names, are not uncommon in the city, especially at the beginning of January, when the world-renowned Manizales Fair takes place.

Pereira: Protected by the banks of the Otun and Consota rivers, Pereira offers visitors incredibly varied scenery, immense natural resources, surprising biodiversity and genuine warmth on the part of its inhabitants. Pereira, the busiest commercial hub in Colombia’s Coffee-Growers Axis, possesses more shopping centres than any other adjacent departments or cities, and is noted for the variety of domestic and international cuisine on offer. Sport forms an important part of the day-to-day lives of the city’s residents, as demonstrated by its Olympic village complex, featuring an Olympic-sized swimming pool, as well as its martial arts arena, velodrome, open-air aerobics area, tennis and basketball courts, and the Hernan Ramirez Villegas Stadium, of course.
 
  Armenia: Dubbed 'The Miracle City' by the former Colombian president Guillermo Leon Valencia, Armenia is an attractive city with a population of nearly 300,000.  The local economy is based on the production of the smoothest coffee in the world. Boasting a quality of life matched by few other cities in Colombia, Armenia has many theme and tourist parks, not to mention a warm climate and attractive natural landscapes, attributes that have helped it become the second most popular tourist destination in the country. Offering increasing opportunities for its inhabitants, it is a booming, modern city steeped in culture, and a genuine paradise on Earth, where the local maxim, “If you visit, you come back and if you come back, you stay” most definitely holds true.