England are hot on the heels of Germany in a new fans' poll on who should host the 2006 World Cup.

But Fifa president Sepp Blatter has hinted that the finals will be held outside of Europe in six years' time.

In a survey of European supporters by German-based marketing company UFA Sports, just over a quarter of respondents said they wanted Germany to get the vote in Zurich on 6 July.

England were a clear second in the five-horse race with 22.3 per cent, while Brazil were third on 21.9.

Favourites South Africa were a long way back in fourth (11.6%), with Morocco (5.7%) bringing up the rear.

Boost

However, in an interview German newspaper Die Welt, Fifa boss Blatter says a pro-European decision is not a foregone conclusion.

He said: "Germany can organise the World Cup, that's clear, and so can England.

"But for the sake of the solidarity of soccer, you should see that another continent gets the World Cup, and not always America or Europe.

Blatter said staging the Finals in Africa "would be a boost, in Europe it would be a confirmation".

High quality

But he added: "It is often forgotten that the World Cup should be high quality, not just in terms of the game but also how it is staged, and Europe has a big trump card here."

On the eve of Euro 2000, the battle to host the 2006 World Cup is now entering a crucial phase.

English hopes could depend on where the three CONCACAF votes will land, and England campaign director Alec McGivan believes they have them in the bag.