6 Feb 2009

UEFA want 2018 football world cup in Europe

11:55 am on 6 February 2009

The UEFA president Michel Platini says he will try convince football's governing body FIFA to restrict the candidates to host the 2018 World Cup to European bids only.

World soccer's governing body opened the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments with 11 potential candidates submitting their initial bids this week.

Four of those are from Europe comprising individual bids from England and Russia and joint bids from Spain and Portugal and the Netherlands and Belgium.

As well as Europe's four bids to host the World Cup, FIFA has also received bids from Australia, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Qatar, United States and Mexico.

By 2018 it will be 12 years since Europe last hosted the World Cup, which was held in Germany in 2006.

The 2010 World Cup finals are being hosted by South Africa with Brazil hosting the 2014 tournament.