Australia want 2018 World Cup

Football Federation Australia chief executive Ben Buckley has confirmed his country intends to bid for the 2018 World Cup.

The race to host the showpiece event in 11 years’ time began on Monday after FIFA’s executive committee scrapped rotation of the tournament between the continents which would have seen the 2018 competition staged in north or central America.

Buckley told the Sydney Morning Herald: “We are very serious. We flagged our intention to bid for the World Cup at the earliest possible opportunity and we are delighted that FIFA has decided to abandon the rotation policy.

“That will give us the opportunity to bid for and hopefully be successful in securing the right to host in 2018.

“I’ve no doubt that if the policy stayed in place the opportunity to host would have been at a later period.

“So whilst we will be competing with European-based nations and nations from all over the world, we think this will be a better system and a better opportunity for us.”

England are among the early favourites to be given the tournament, with China, Russia, a joint Holland/Belgium bid, the United States and Mexico among the other expected contenders.