ZURICH: FIFA announced that Egypt withdrew at the last minute from preliminary bids to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup, which include applications by the United States, England and Russia. FIFA said the expressions of interest received by the Tuesday deadline did not include China. Mexico, South Korea, Japan, Australia, Indonesia and Qatar all submitted the paperwork on time. Netherlands-Belgium and Spain-Portugal each made joint offers, although FIFA president Sepp Blatter has expressed a preference for single-nation bids. Egypt, which on Monday appeared to be the only African country interested in hosting the tournament in 2018 or 2022, pulled its bid without explanation. China opted out of bidding, state media reported Tuesday. There had been speculation Beijing would seek to build on its hosting of the Olympics last year. FIFA will now ask each bidder to fill out a detailed form and send it back by March 16. The final awarding of the 2018 and 2022 tournaments will be made in December 2010. Six of the bidders have previously staged a World Cup - England in 1966; Mexico in 1970 and 1986; Spain in 1982; the United States in 1994; and South Korea and Japan as co-hosts in 2002. England unsuccessfully bid for the 2006 World Cup, losing out to Germany. Officials at the US Soccer Federation have said they think the election of President Barack Obama will boost its chances with FIFA. Russia could benefit from never having staged the event before, and the country s strong performance in last year s European championship also shows it is now a football force to be reckoned with. The team made the semifinals before losing to winners Spain. Australia, Indonesia and Qatar are firm outsiders. -AP
