The country's impressive all-seater stadia and its status as the birthplace of the game were all in England's favour, he said.

Sepp Blatter, president of world football's governing body FIFA, said earlier in the week that the World Cup was likely to take place in South Africa.

During Prime Minister's question time, Blair told the House of Commons that Blatter had made it clear during their meeting on Monday that there was a "strong case" for an African country to host the tournament for the first time.

But the Labour leader added that England's chances should not be dismissed.

He said while Blatter "obviously recognised the strong case for an African country to host the 2006 World Cup if they have the right facilities and the right infrastructure to do it, he recognised the very, very powerful case that England has with the finest stadia in the world, with massive new investment in that stadia and England, of course, as he pointed out himself, being the motherland of football".

Blair said the £300m redevelopment of Wembley would make it the "finest stadium anywhere in the world".