(CNN) -- FIFA has cast doubts on the hopes of several countries bidding to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cup tournaments in a technical evaluation report released by soccer's governing body on Wednesday.
Russia, seeking to host football's premier event for the first time in 2018, was criticized for its limited transport options -- which may cause problems due to "the country's vastness and remoteness'" the report said.
Its information and communications technology needs to be upgraded, while 13 of its proposed 16 stadiums will be started from scratch and its accommodation plan suggests "a dependence on construction and modernization in the hotel sector".
Russia received a "low risk" legal rating, as did its main European rivals England and Spain-Portugal, but the Belgium-Netherlands joint bid was marked "medium risk".
England, the 1996 host, received a mainly favorable evaluation but it failed to meet FIFA's requirements for venue-specific training sites and accommodation.
The Spain-Portugal bid also fell short in required contracted venue-specific training sites, but it has an advantage over England in that there are no government restrictions on media rights.
The Belgium-Netherlands bid fell short in team facility and accommodation requirements, and did not supply the necessary government guarantees to satisfy FIFA's protection program needs.
Of the 2022 candidates, Qatar's bid was highlighted as having the most shortfalls -- mainly due to the small size of the country, its excessively hot climate during the tournament months of June-July, and the need to start most construction from scratch.
CNN
