World Cup bid for 2018 gets political clout

From The Age

FOOTBALL Federation Australia has welcomed government support for a bid to host the 2018 World Cup, but warned that winning the right to stage the event would be a huge task.

Prime Minister John Howard yesterday said all governments would support a bid, if one came, for Australia to host the event in 2018.

"All governments agreed enthusiastically that if the national body, the Football Federation of Australia, put in a bid for the 2018 World Cup, then all governments would support that bid, and support that bid very enthusiastically," Howard said.

FFA's head of operations Matt Carroll said the process would be tougher than winning the rights to host an Olympic Games and that Australia must first lift its profile in the soccer world.
[Read more]