By Yepoka Yeebo and Michael Ventura
DNAinfo Staff
MANHATTAN — Put your vuvuzela back in the closet — the World Cup isn't coming to New York.
Qatar and Russia were selected Thursday as the host nations for the 2022 and 2018 World Cups, respectively, by the FIFA world soccer governing body in Zurich, Switzerland.
The United States had put in bids to host the 2018 or the 2022 World Cup.
"Thank you for giving Qatar a chance," said Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al Thani, chairman of Qatar's 2022 bid committee. "We will not let you down, and you will be proud of us, you will be proud of the Middle East, and I promise you that."
Manhattanites were reeling from their loss — and from the choice of hosts.
"Who even knows where Qatar is?" asked Anderson Solano, 14, from Harlem, who attends the city's Business of Sports public school on West 49th Street. Solano and dozens of his classmates took a field trip to the NYC & Co. offices on Seventh Ave and West 53nd Street to watch the announcement live.
"We definitely deserve it. We're a great country. The world would have benefited," Solano said.
Classmate Roy Masqurtte, 14, from Midtown, added his disappointment that New York City missed out on their chance to host the world's soccer fans.
"I wanted NY to get it because a lot of people play it, we're known internationally, people come here to see soccer."
"I'm a huge soccer fan, so I'm very disappointed," he added.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg was on the U.S. bid committee.
"Only those who cast the vote really know what led them to cast the vote," said Mark Lamping, President and CEO of the New Meadowlands Stadium.
"It would have been great, we have some great fans as we saw this summer with the U.S. team's success in South Africa."