Had England been awarded the bid, Anfield would have been one of the stadiums used in the world event. The people waiting for the announcement in Liverpool all shared their disappointment in a moment they were hoping to celebrate.
"It's very disappointing," 1966 Liverpool legend Roger Hunt told liverpoolfc.tv. "Looking at the television and newspapers this morning, it seemed like England was the favorite, so to not get it is a letdown.
"It would have been fantastic to see World Cup football at Anfield," Hunt continued. "It's already been 44 years since we've held a World Cup. Unfortunately, we'll have to wait even longer."
What's more frustrating to the Liverpool crew is the reliability of Russia to host such a large event. According to the Los Angeles Times, the weak infrastructure and lack of stadiums and transportation are the main problems that are being raised in FIFA's recent decision.
"I thought we'd done enough," Hunt said. "We've got all the facilities here — the grounds, and many of the best players in the world playing here. I don't know how we've lost it."
LFC finance director Philip Nash was also disappointed, but did wish Russia the best of luck in hosting the event.
"I thought we had a chance of winning it — and hopefully we'll have a chance again one day," Nash said. "But I'm sure Russia will put on a great event and we wish them the best of luck."
