altENGLAND'S hopes of hosting the 2018 World Cup have today been dealt a potentially serious blow by FIFA president Sepp Blatter (pictured).

 

He said during a meeting with the Chancellor Gordon Brown and the Sports Minister Richard Caborn in London that there was no guarantee that the event would be held in Europe in 2018.

 

Instead he raised the possibility of being held in North America - which would almost certainly mean a return to the United States, who hosted the event in 1994 - or Asia, partciularly China.

Fifa's executive committee will decide in December on whether the World Cup should continue to rotate to different continents or if it should be open to all bidders.
 
"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 (North and Central America)," Blatter said.
 
"They could also decide that the Americas should be considered as one and then rotation would go to Asia.
 
"It may also be that the majority of the Fifa executive committee where you have eight European representatives (out of 24) can find the 13 votes needed (for the World Cup to return to Europe)."
 
Blatter said his personal inclination was for rotation to continue to North America, with the USA, Mexico and Canada all capable of hosting the tournament.
 
A feasibility study commissioned by the British Government has already reported that England would have an excellent chance of becoming hosts in 11 years' time.
 
According to Caborn, the experience of London's successful bid for the 2012 Olympic Games had been invaluable, and that he anticipates strong competition for 2018.