Sepp Blatter, the President of the world governing body FIFA, warned last month that he was against joint bids when there were so many big countries who wanted to put on the event alone.

 

But Alain Courtois, the director of Belgium and Holland's bid, claimed that they could still feel confident.

 

He said: "Sepp Blatter was clear with us.

 

"He wants to exclude joint bids by big countries like Japan and Korea in 2002.

 

"But he accepts we are different.

 

"We are one bid, based on a joint venture.

 

"We have one political Benelux parliamentary instiution to decide on all matters such as finance, security and mobility."

 

England have been installed as the favourites by the bookmakers to host the World Cup for the first time since 1966 but Courtois claimed that his bid will be a serious rival.

 

He said: "I am furious when people say we have no chance.

 

"Why?

 

"Because we have small countries?

 

"But small countries have a lot of possibilities, especially in the curent financial climate.

 

"Our companies are doing very well abroad and all around the world.

 

"England is a very good candidate with big stadiums, lots of money it seems, but they have an Olympic Games in 2012 and after that, maybe a World Cup is too much to stage.

 

"But the majority of FIFA members are small countries.

 

"The big countries do not have monopoly on big events."

 

Courtois is confident that Belgium and Holland can raise the money needed to stage the event despite the current credit crunch.

 

It is estimated that the bid needs to find the cash to fund 12 new stadiums at a projected cost of between 60 and 100 million euros ($126.5 million) each.

 

Courtois said: "In the words of [United States President] Barack Obama, 'Yes we can'.

 

"We are very confident we will get the investment for the stadiums.

 

"The private sector has been very interested since the beginning of this bid.

 

"We hope to fund the majority of the stadiums through the private sector with little cost to the public.

 

"The Belgian Government for example has exercised privileges in construction to allow the private sector to take advantage of constructing flats, apartments and commercial galleries outside of the cities.

 

"The two Governments have already signed up to both political and financial support.

 

"Netherlands was a little bit slower, but now they have clearly signed and guaranteed to give us the financial support neccessary."

 

The Belgium-Netherlands bid is one of 11 candidates competing to host football's biggest event alongside Australia, England, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Qatar, Russia, Spain and Portugal, and the United States.

 

FIFA is due to award the event, along with the hosts for the 2022 World Cup, at a meeting in December 2010.