England consider World Cup bid

The Football Association in England will meet tomorrow to decide their next steps towards a possible bid for the 2018 World Cup.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter fired the starting gun for the race for 2018 after the world governing body yesterday scrapped rotation of the tournament between the different continents.

The FA will hold a board meeting tomorrow and are expected to commission their own feasibility study to examine the likelihood of their winning the race for 2018, the positive effects on the sport in the country as well as any potential pitfalls.

FA chief executive Brian Barwick said FIFA’s unanimous decision was “very encouraging” and that there was a strong case for England to be hosts in 2018.

Barwick said: “It is exactly what we were hoping for and we will now discuss a timetable for a potential bid.

“The successful campaign which saw London awarded the 2012 Olympic Games has already shown what can be achieved.

“We realise there will be strong competition involved in any bidding process, but we know that England has fantastic stadiums, a unique tradition and passion for the game and also a very strong infrastructure already in place.

“I have always said that when the World Cup is next played in Europe, there is a very strong argument for holding it in England.”

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown also expressed his delight at the FIFA’s to throw open the tournament – the only restrictions for 2018 is that countries from Africa and South America will not be able to bid as their continents are hosting the finals in 2010 (South Africa) and 2014 (Brazil).

Brown said: “The nation which gave football to the world deserves to have the greatest tournament back on these shores.

“If the FA decide to go ahead and bid for the tournament, they know they will have the full support of the Government behind them, and we will make it our mission to persuade other countries to back us in bringing the World Cup back to England.”

Chuck Blazer, the American member of FIFA’s 24-man executive committee and treasurer of the CONCACAF federation of countries from north and central America and the Caribbean, said an England bid would be well-regarded.

Blazer said: “I think they will do great and will have a good bid – and I am sure my members will give them some good competition and a run for their money.”

A campaign is likely to cost up to £15m (€21m) – less than half the £35m (€50m) cost of London’s bid for the 2012 Olympics.

England are likely to face strong challenges from Russia, China and the USA.

Blatter told a news conference in Zurich: “We have not played the 2010 World Cup or formally attributed the 2014 World Cup and already we have a bunch of big, great candidates for 2018 and there can be more.

“Besides England, where I have just met the Prime Minister, there are other European candidates – a combined offer from the Netherlands and Belgium as in Euro 2000 – and interest from China, Australia, Mexico and from USA.”

Blatter said the FIFA executive committee would decide on the hosts in 2011 and that bids would have to be officially submitted at least two years beforehand.