England open campaign as favourites

WORLD CUP 2018 AND 2022 BIDS:ENGLAND HAVE begun the race to stage the 2018 World Cup as early, if unwilling, favourites among the competing nations.

The deadline for expressions of interest to be delivered to Fifa arrived yesterday with 11 countries involved, including South Korea who caused a surprise by entering the contest at the last moment.

Egypt have also announced they will be bidding, but under Fifa’s system of rotating the tournament between different continents they can only go for the 2022 World Cup. Bidding for 2018 and 2022 will be a simultaneous process with winners announced in December 2010.

The uncertainty over whether joint bids will be allowed has given the England bid something of a flying start. Their strongest rivals include the joint campaign planned by Spain and Portugal.

Fifa’s executive committee will not decide until March 19th whether to change their rules to permit joint bids.

The contenders are: England, Spain/Portugal, Russia, Holland/Belgium, USA, Mexico, Australia, Japan, Qatar, Korea and Indonesia – plus Egypt for 2022.

England 2018 bid leaders would prefer not to be regarded as front-runners for fear that damages their chances or allows complacency to creep in.

One bid board member, Keith Mills, has even insisted that England should no longer be regarded as the leaders of the pack.

“I don’t think we are the favourites at all now,” Mills said. “There’s going to be strong competition from Spain and Portugal and Russia, and we shouldn’t underestimate that.

“Australia will be getting the backing of Asia so it is not a foregone conclusion at all.

“But we are in a good starting position and providing we put a good bid together I believe we have a better than evens chance of succeeding.”

Mills was the chief executive of London’s successful bid for the 2012 Olympics, and England 2018 would prefer to be seen merely as strong challengers.

That London is hosting the 2012 Games is a negative factor in some eyes – some Fifa members may not wish to give the two biggest sports events to the same country so close together.

Potentially the biggest threat to England could come from within; already there are splits among the senior organisers and the Premier League have been sidelined in terms of positions on the bid board.

England will need Uefa president Michel Platini’s support to win the crucial European vote – there are eight Europeans on Fifa’s 24-man executive committee.

Platini and the Premier League have been at odds for some time so it may suit England 2018 to distance themselves.

The field for 2018 is big, but Fifa expect some contenders to fall by the wayside when the extent of the guarantees their governments have to provide are made clear.