The US may rival England for the 2018 World Cup

US Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati said his group is preparing a bid for the 2018 World Cup - and is also ready as a backup for 2014.

He said: "We showed in 1994 that the US is capable of hosting a terrific event.

"We would be in position to put on a spectacular event. We are much more a part of the sport internationally than we were in 1994."

The Football Association is unlikely to welcome the move, although it will hope the USSF makes a pitch for the 2014 World Cup rather than four years later.

It is thought Fifa favours awarding the 2018 World Cup to a European country, but the 1994 tournament in the States was regarded as a huge success by Fifa.

The FA has yet to officially confirm it will bid for 2018, but the Government has already offered its support, with the Treasury commissioning a report which concluded that England is "well placed" to host the tournament.

And the FA will hope the fact that England has not staged the showpiece since 1966 will work in its favour.

Gulati added: "We've got some history and a track record.

He added that Fifa was "very open" to a US bid while CONCACAF, the governing body for North and Central America and the Caribbean were "very positive" about the idea.

Brazil are the current favourites to host the 2014 event, with Colombia the only other country in the running.

A decision is expected from Fifa later this year, but with concerns over whether Brazil would be ready in time, president Sepp Blatter has hinted it might go elsewhere.

"We have said that the 2014 World Cup will be staged in South America," he said recently. "But if there is no candidate strong enough, then we would go north instead as the logical thing."