Football Association chairman Geoff Thompson says England is in a "strong position" to host the World Cup when it next returns to Europe. After next summer's finals, the finals will be staged in South Africa in 2010 and South America in 2014.
England 's bid for the 2006 finals failed but Thompson said: "When it comes back to Europe, we'll be in a strong position.
"Our stadia are as good if not better than the vast majority in Europe."
The sheer size of the tournament dictates that only a handful of countries would be able to stage the tournament when it is due to return to Europe in 2018.
Thompson said: "It's almost impossible for the smaller countries to be able to host it.
"Therefore, I think the big countries in Europe would be the ones that have that opportunity. France had it in 1998, Germany has it next year, Italy had it in 1990."
MMIX
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