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Wednesday, 14 November 2007, 18:34 GMT

Benelux countries want World Cup

Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg are jointly bidding to host the 2018 World Cup finals.

The Belgians and Dutch hosted the 2000 European Championship together and will face competition from England.

China, Australia, Mexico, Russia, Spain and the United States have also expressed an interest in being hosts.

Luxembourg would not host any matches, but would stage a Fifa congress, and unlike the others hosts will not automatically qualify for the finals.

Fifa president Sepp Blatter said: "It says everything about the popularity of football and the World Cup that we already have concrete proposals."

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South Africa will host the next finals in 2010, with the draw for the qualifying groups taking place on Sunday week, 25 November.

Brazil stage the tournament four years later and the winning bid for the 2018 tournament will be announced by Fifa in 2011.

Related to this story:

Platini cool over England Cup bid (13 Nov 07 | Football )
World Cup bid Q&A (31 Oct 07 | Football )
England to bid for 2018 World Cup (31 Oct 07 | Internationals )
Platini critical of Wenger policy (30 Oct 07 | Football )
Brazil will stage 2014 World Cup (30 Oct 07 | Internationals )
England rivals plan 2018 Cup bids (30 Oct 07 | Football )
Fifa abandons World Cup rotation (29 Oct 07 | Football )
Fifa welcomes England 2018 bid (25 Oct 07 | Football )
Blatter gives England 2018 boost (12 Oct 07 | Football )
England get 2018 World Cup boost (25 Sep 07 | Internationals )
PM rejects plea from Uefa chief (19 Sep 07 | Europe )

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