Lowy, the chairman of Football Federation Australia, has refused to accept the consensus that the event will be awarded to Europe for the first time since Germany in 2006 and that Australia should concentrate on hosting the 2022 World Cup.

 

 

He said: "Sometimes I get a bit insecure [about the bid], because it goes up and down like a yo-yo.

 

"But we have a good chance, we have a good chance for 2018."

 

Lowy's hopes are based on his close relationship with Sepp Blatter, the President of world governing body FIFA, and the political support behind Australia's bid, he said in an interview published today in the Sydney Morning Herald.

 

Lowy said: "The basic ingredient for any bid is the full support of your own country.

 

"There's no doubt about it now, that there is full support.

 

"That was articulated very well by [Australian Prime Minister] Kevin Rudd to Sepp Blatter."

 

Football is one of Australia's fastest growing sports but Lowy is unhappy that the English Premier League has discussed plans about playing matches abroad, including in Australia.

 

Lowy said: "I'm opposed to that.

 

"Absolutely.

 

"The national competitions belong to the national associations.

 

"We can't interrupt our own competitions because two foreign teams want to come and enhance their own competitions."

 

FIFA is due to choose the country's to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups at a meeting of its ruling Executive Committee on December 2, 2010.

 

Besides Australia and England, the other bidders are Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Russia and United States as well as joint bids from Spain and Portugal and Holland and Belgium.

 

Qatar and South Korea are bidding for just the 2022 tournament.