US To Challenge England Over 2018 Bid
The US has thrown its hat into the ring as a potential bidder to host football’s 2018 World Cup, earmarking itself as a serious rival to England’s hopes of staging the tournament.
US Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati announced that the governing body is preparing a bid for the 2018 tournament, building on its proposals as a back-up option for 2014.
He said: ‘We showed in 1994 that the US is capable of hosting a terrific event. We would be in position to put on a spectacular event. We are much more a part of the sport internationally than we were in 1994.’
It is thought FIFA favours awarding the 2018 World Cup to a European country, a situation that plays into the hands of any England bid, but the lure of finally breaking the US market will prove a strong pull for the world governing body.
The FA has yet to officially confirm it will bid for 2018, but the Government has already offered its support, with the Treasury commissioning a report which concluded that England is ‘well placed’ to host the tournament.
FIFA has earmarked South America is host the 2014 event with Brazil the current favourites and Colombia the only other country in the running.
A decision is expected later this year, but with concerns over whether Brazil would be ready in time, FIFA president Sepp Blatter has hinted it might go elsewhere with the US providing the best alternative back-up.
‘We have said that the 2014 World Cup will be staged in South America,’ he said recently. ‘But if there is no candidate strong enough, then we would go north instead as the logical thing.’
