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Fifa vice-president backs England 2018 bid

04/06/2008

Jack Warner, the vice president of world football's governing body Fifa, has given his backing to England's bid to host the 2018 World Cup.

Following the England national side's visit to Trinidad and Tobago for an international friendly last week, Warner - who is also the president of Concacaf - said he believed the Football Association's bid is "the best".

England will face competition from Russia, Australia, China, Spain and a joint Netherlands-Belgium bid to host the tournament in ten years' time.

The USA is reportedly also considering a bid for 2018, and Warner admitted it would be "political suicide" for him not to support a bid from within his own confederation.

However, he added England should be the frontrunner as things stand at the moment and the FA's cause would have his support if and when the United States is no longer in the running.

"In [the race to host the World Cup in] 2006, England's bid was the best. I believe it's still the best," Warner said.

"The catalyst of my support for England for the bid for 2018 is because I don't believe any country of England's football pedigree should not have a World Cup for almost 50 years."

Warner added he hoped to convince the US association to bid for the 2022 tournament instead, which he believes they have a much better chance of winning, despite the fact it has only been 14 years since the nation last hosted a World Cup.