Blatter raises doubt over England bid

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has warned there is no guarantee that the 2018 World Cup will be held in Europe - putting a question mark against hopes England would host that tournament.

Blatter raised the prospect of the 2018 tournament either being held in North America or Asia - and the USA, China and Australia have also indicated their intention to bid. FIFA's executive committee will decide in December on whether the World Cup should continue to rotate to different continents or if it should be open to all bidders.

Blatter told a media briefing in London: "The executive committee must take a decision whether the rotation should include all the confederations in which case the 2018 World Cup should be in CONCACAF (north and central America). They could also decide that the Americas should be considered as one and then rotation would go to Asia."

He added: "It may also be that the majority of the FIFA executive committee where you have eight European representatives (out of 24) can find the 13 votes needed (for the World Cup to return to Europe)."

Blatter said his personal inclination was for rotation to continue to North America, with the USA, Mexico and Canada all capable of hosting the tournament.