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England set to withdraw 2022 bid

(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-09-30 08:03

LONDON - England will withdraw its candidature to host the 2022 World Cup if, as expected, the United States drops its bid for the 2018 event, a top official said on Tuesday.

England, Russia, and the US, plus joint bids from Spain/Portugal and Belgium/Netherlands are all still in the running for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments.

Australia, Japan, South Korea and Qatar have already declared their intention to concentrate only on 2022.

If the US pulled out from the 2018 race, it would face no European opposition for the next World Cup as no one continent can stage succcessive finals.

"We are sure it won't be long before the United States will withdraw from 2018, leaving themselves a run on 2022," said David Dein, the international president of England's bid.

"We are not really interested in 2022. Consequently, we will almost certainly withdraw from 2022, leaving us with a European battle."

US Soccer president Sunil Gulati said earlier this month it would withdraw from the 2018 race if asked by either FIFA President Sepp Blatter or Michel Platini, head of European football governing body UEFA.

England had staged the World Cup just once, in 1966, when it won the tournament for the only time in its history, and the last time the global showpiece took place in Europe was in Germany in 2006.

FIFA's 24-man executive committee votes on both the 2018 and 2022 tournament hosts in Zurich on Dec 2.

Gulati has already acknowledged Europe seemed to have the inside track on 2018.

Agence France-Presse

(China Daily 09/30/2010 page24)