FIFA's ruling Executive Committee will meet in Zurich to create a timetable for countries bidding to stage the 2018 World Cup.

 

As first reported on insidethegames, FIFA President Sepp Blatter has said he wants the governing body to choose hosts for both editions in three years' time.

 

The race will be fiercely contested with a lineup of candidates expected to include Australia, China, England, Russia and the United States.

 

Blatter has already dropped hints about FIFA's thinking.

 

With the 2010 tournament being played in South Africa and the 2014 event in Brazil, a northern hemisphere venue is preferred for 2018 and European countries expect to be strongly considered.

 

Blatter suggested earlier this year that the 2022 World Cup would "perhaps be more preferable" for Australia to target.

 

One influential FIFA power broker also said he wants the US - which hosted in 1994 - to aim for the 2022 tournament.

 

Jack Warner is president of the CONCACAF federation, which covers North and Central America and the Caribbean, but he has stated his support for England in 2018 and then the US four years later.

 

The 2010 World Cup will is expected to earn FIFA $3.2 billion (£2.5 billion) in television and marketing revenue.

 

Host countries are chosen by the 24-member FIFA executive, and other expected candidates include Japan, Qatar, Mexico and combined bids Netherlands-Belgium and Portugal-Spain.

 

Tomorrow's meeting is also expected to clarify the rules on releasing players for the Olympics.

 

The build up to the tournament at the Beijing Games in August was overshadowed by a courtroom battle between FIFA and three European clubs who tried to stop their players from attending.

 

Barcelona had Lionel Messi called up by Argentina, while Brazil selected two players - Schalke's Rafinha and Diego of Werder Bremen - from Germany.

 

The clubs went to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to challenge FIFA's ruling that players aged 23 or under must be allowed to play.

 

A CAS panel agreed with the clubs because FIFA had not put the Olympic tournament on its official calendar of international match dates.

 

Even though the clubs won their appeal, the players stayed in China to play. Messi was a key player in Argentina's gold medal-winning team.

 

FIFA will address its international calendar Friday to include the 2012 Olympics in London.

 

Executive Committee members will also receive progress reports on South African preparations for the 2010 World Cup, and elections to find new leaders who aim to end football corruption in Poland.