FIFA may use an Olympic-style bidding process to whittle down the countries interested in hosting the 2018 World Cup finals, the governing body's president Sepp Blatter said on Monday.

 

Blatter, speaking at Soccerex, the international football conference, in Johannesburg, said so many countries had already indicated an interest, or were expected to do so, that there may have to be a "preliminary elimination" to reduce the number of candidates.

 

"We are only in 2007, but the race for the 2018 World Cup has already started with a race of interested countries," he said.

 

"Already we are hearing about the United States, Mexico, Canada, a combined bid from Belgium and Holland, Russia and of course England are interested. Spain - don't forget about them - and also perhaps China, Australia and Japan.

 

"We could end up with eight or nine bidders for 2018 and we haven't event played (the) 2010 (finals) yet.

 

"If there is actually as many candidates as there appears to be then we will have to do what the IOC does and have a preliminary elimination and only go with those who have given the right guarantees."

 

He said the decision on the 2018 finals would be taken in 2011, but that FIFA would consider reviewing their selection procedures.

 

Only once in recent times has a bid not been considered by FIFA.

 

That was in 2004 when Libya's bid to stage the 2010 finals was disqualified on the morning of the vote because it refused to give guarantees it would allow Israel to compete.

 

South Africa eventually won the right to stage the finals and Brazil was awarded the 2014 tournament last month.

 

Brazil was the only bidders for the 2014 finals, which was allocated to South America as part of FIFA's worldwide rotation policy which has now been scrapped.

 

It is a result of rotation ending that so many countries from all over the world are showing an interest in 2018.

 

On Monday, Asian Football Confederation president Mohamed Bin Hammam said Asia could join forces to support Australia's bid to stage the 2018 finals.

 

He said Asia's only chance of beating its European rivals would be with a united bid.

 

(Agencies via Shanghai Daily November 28, 2007)