28 Jan 2009England submit World Cup 2018 bid

Football Leagues/ Association and Governance

England have officially submitted their bid to host the World Cup in 2018 to Fifa, it was confirmed yesterday (January 27th).

World football's governing body has set a deadline of February 2nd for nations to express their interest in hosting the showpiece tournament in both 2018 and 2022.

England will now continue their project in the face of stiff competition from Russia, Qatar, Australia and joint bids from Spain and Portugal and Holland and Belgium.

With China, the US and Japan also thought to be mulling over a bid, England appear to have a tough battle on their hands, but bid chief executive Andy Anson said: "We believe we have a very strong case to bring the tournament to England."

Fifa abandoned its policy of rotating the World Cup from continent to continent in 2007 and now countries cannot bid if their continent has hosted one of the previous two tournaments.

England last staged the World Cup in 1966, when they famously secured the trophy with a remarkable 4-2 win over West Germany at Wembley.

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