Australia withdraws World Cup 2018 bid

Australia have pulled out of their bid to host the 2018 World Cup to concentrate on a challenge for the tournament in 2022, it was announced today.

Only USA still remain as a non-European bidder for 2018 although they will now be under intense pressure to target 2022 alone, which would leave the field open for England, Russia, Spain/Portugal and Holland/Belgium to battle it out.