altMARCH 2 - UEFA President Michel Platini (pictured) said that he hoped to secure a deal to ensure that the World Cup returns to Europe in 2018, an event are England favourites to host.

 

England's is one of four European bids to stage the tournament.

 

Platini has refused to back any of the European efforts, which also include Russia and joint bids from Belgium and the Netherlands and Portugal and Spain.

 

He said: “I think my job is to bring the World Cup to Europe in 2018.

 

"Then, if it’s only Europe, and it could be one, two, three, four, five, six [bids] it’s not a problem for me.”

 

Platini, who also sits on FIFA's ruling Executive Committee that will decide where the World Cup goes, has been lobbying FIFA President Sepp Blatter to choose Europe.

 

He has also also been talking to the heads of other soccer confederations to get them to step aside in exchange for his support for their 2022 bids.

 

Besides the European bidders, there are also applications from Australia, Indonesia, Qatar, Mexico, Japan, South Korea and the United States to host the tournament.

 

Platini said: “It’s politics and when it’s politics it’s secret."

 

FIFA plans to award both the 2018 and 2022 events at a meeting in Dubai in December 2010.