Fifa Confirms End Of World Cup Rotation

As expected, football governing body FIFA has voted to drop the rotation system
for hosting the World Cup, opening the door for England to bid for the 2018
tournament.

The governing body’s vice-president Chung Mong-Joon confirmed the decision at
a FIFA executive committee meeting taking place in Zurich.

Under the existing system, the World Cup rotated continent-by-continent but
the lack of competing bids for the 2014 tournament in South America – with only
Brazil putting forward a bid – has persuaded FIFA to scrap the format.

The 2018 tournament had been scheduled to go to North America but with the
process now open to all countries, the England bid is very much in the
reckoning.

The decision had been widely predicted, most recently by FIFA president Sepp
Blatter, who said he himself would vote for such a change.

The Football Association has already expressed an interest in England bidding
to host the event, and Prime Minister Gordon Brown has backed the idea with
former Sports Minister Richard Caborn already in place as an ambassador for the
bid.

A number of other strong contenders for the 2018 tournament are expected,
including China, Russia, Australia and the USA or Mexico.

Chung said all national associations could apply to host future tournaments,
except those that belonged to confederations that hosted the two preceding
editions.

For 2018, that would rule out bids from Africa or South America, with South
Africa hosting the tournament in 2010 and Brazil poised to be confirmed as 2014
hosts this week.