2018 World Cup finals are not planed for Europe

Sepp Blatter revealed there was no guarantee that England would have the opportunity to bid for the 2018 World Cup.

Gordon Brown has been campaigning to bring the World Cup to England for the first time since the nation won it in 1966, believing the 2018 event will be held in Europe.

Blatter told the chancellor that FIFA had not yet decided upon a rotation for upcoming tournaments As Germany having hosted the 2006 finals, Europe might not get a crack at the competition until 2022 or 2026.

With the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, and the 2014 competition set to go to a South American nation, Blatter said North America or Asia could draw 2018.

A decision is due to be made by the FIFA executive committee at the November draw for the qualifying competition for the 2010 World Cup in Durban.

"I can understand the eagerness of the English FA, supported by politicians, to stage the finals, but it is not definite the finals will come back to Europe in 2018," Blatter said. "If the FIFA executive committee decide later this year that the rotation policy is maintained, in strict procedure it should be in North America in 2018 – and there are three countries who could host it there: the United States, Mexico and Canada.

"The executive committee must take a decision whether the rotation should include all the confederations, in which case the 2018 World Cup should be in CONCACAF. They could also decide that the Americas should be considered as one and then the rotation would go to Asia."

With the U.S. and Australia already interested in bidding for 2018, Blatter said China also expressed an interest.

Blatter said his preference was to see the policy of worldwide rotation continue, but he is believed to have told Brown that England would be the frontrunner if the rotation turns to Europe.

Blatter also praised the work England was doing to help South Africa get ready for the tournament.

Source: euFootball.BIZ © Copyright 2006 - All rights reserved.