He said that he did not want the tournament to be staged in the Americas with Brazil hosting the 2014 tournament, immediately ruling out potentially strong bids from the United States and Mexico.

 

Blatter then said that it was accepted that the World Cup, at least, should take place in Europe at least once every 12 years - therefore disqualifying Australia, China and Qatar, all of who would be attractive and unusual host countries, as the 2010 event is due to take place in South Africa.

 

He said: "You know there is a wish and a will that every third World Cup shall come back to Europe."

 

The race to host 2018 is shaping up to the most competitive in the history of the event and Blatter wants to effectively to have the non-European candidates enter into a separate race to host the 2022 tournament.

 

FIFA had already announced,  as revealed exclusively on insidethegames, that they will choose the host country for both the 2018 and 2022 events at the same time, expected to be in 2011, to maximise marketing opportunities.

 

Blatter said: "There are so many that I will propose to the executive committee that we shall open the bid for 2018 and 2022 and try to channel the different bidders.

 

"For instance, we are now in the Americas for 2014 and we know that the USA, Mexico - they will be candidates."

 

Blatter made his comments addressing the European Parliament so his comments should, perhaps, be treated cautiously.

 

Nevertheless there is no doubt that three consecutive World Cup tournaments outside Europe for the first time in the event's history, which stretches back to 1930, would not be greeted very well by television companies and the majority of the sport's sponsors, especially when there are such strong European candidates lining up willing to host 2018.

 

Blatter said: "In Europe, you have definitely England, Spain - Spain alone or with Portugal - Russia."

 

A joint bid from Holland and Belgium has also already been lodged with FIFA but, under the new set of bidding conditions proposed by Blatter, most experts would expect it to be a straight fight between England, who last hosted the event in 1966, and Russia, who have never staged the tournament but whose bid would undoubtedly be backed by the country's oligrachs.

Blatter will make the proposals for a regional bidding structure later this month.