Photo by Paul Frederiksen.

Representatives from FIFA, the international governing body of soccer, are touring the United States this week. Officials from the USA Bid Committee for the World Cup are wining and dining the delegation, in the hope that FIFA will award the United States the right to host the World Cup in either 2018 (highly unlikely) or 2022 (for which America is actually considered a favorite). The folks from FIFA started their tour in New York on Tuesday, and swung through Washington this morning before jetting off to Miami.

With just a few short hours to encapsulate the District’s potential as a host site, U.S. bid officials took the delegation — headed by Chile Football Federation President Harold Mayne-Nicholls — to the top of the Washington Monument to survey the Mall, which would serve as a gathering place for fans from around the world. They showed them the Washington Convention Center, which could serve as a headquarters for FIFA’s logistical operations. Finally, they traveled to FedEx Field, which, with a capacity of over 90,000, could serve as a major tournament venue — perhaps for the opening match or even the final.

Dave McKenna of the Washington City Paper, however, wasn’t exactly pleased with the itinerary, which he believes snubbed RFK Stadium. “Not even a drop-by at R.F.K. Stadium,” McKenna wondered, “the only pro soccer venue in the city and the home of D.C. United, the flagship franchise of America’s top soccer league?”

Of course, the answer is simple: RFK Stadium simply isn’t fit for hosting a World Cup match.