The 67-year-old replaced Saburo Kawabuchi, 71, as JFA President 14 months ago.

His appointment as head of the World Cup bid is expected to be ratified by the JFA at a meeting next Thursday (September 10)

Inukai previously headed Urawa Red Diamonds from 2002 to 2006, when he became one of JFA's executive managing directors as well as the J.League's vice-chairman.

His entrepreneurship transformed Urawa, his hometown club, from strugglers into lucrative title contenders, something he achieved through signing star players and cultivating one of the hottest fan bases in Japan.
 

Urawa Reds, who started as a unit of Mitsubishi Motors when the J-League was launched in 1993, clinched their first league title in 2006 after coming close in the two previous years.

The club's annual revenue expanded more than one-and-a-half time to $55 million (£34 million) while Inukai was at the helm.

Urawa clinched their first AFC Champions League title last year, but lost the J-League title and Emperor's Cup titles they had kept for two years.

Japan is one of 11 bidders for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup.

The 2018 tournament is expected to be awarded to Europe, with England the favourites, although the joint bid from Spain and Portugal is seen as a big threat and so too, potentially, is Russia.

There is also a joint bid from Holland and Belgium.

The non-European candidates are expected to battle it out for the 2022 World Cup, which will be awarded by FIFA's ruling Executive Committee at the same meeting in December 2010 as the 2018 event.

Japan are one of five bidders from the Asian confederation.

The others are Australia, Indonesia, Qatar and South Korea, who controversially co-hosted the 2002 World Cup with Japan.

The other bidders are Mexico and United States, who are also considered to be very strong.