Hughes' Wales lost out in a play-off to reach the 2004 European Championships

The Government has held a feasibility study into staging the tournament in 11 years' time but the final decision on launching a bid would be with the FA.

But Hughes feels the benefits would be felt throughout the United Kingdom.

The Blackburn manager said: "It is a long way off, but it would be magnificent if the World Cup came back to this country."

There is still some way to go before Fifa decides which continent will host the competition in 2018.

But Hughes, 43, who spent five years in charge of Wales, said: "If it is pursued, it is to be welcomed as it can have an effect on the whole mindset of everyone who watches football."

Everything is here to put on a great show if we ever got the World Cup Mark Hughes

"It can create so much interest not only in your own country, but world-wide as well. Everyone then talks about football and wants to go to games."

The former Manchester United and Barcelona striker added: "We are due a turn.

"We have the new Emirates Stadium, the new Wembley, perhaps even the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. Everything is here to put on a great show if we ever got it."

Sports minister Richard Caborn believes the Government have created the ideal platform for England to launch a successful bid.

He said: " "It's important to show that any bid has solid political support. That is exactly what we did with the Olympics.

"It is important to do the groundwork now, to show we are all on the same song sheet and that we would be very privileged to host the World Cup."

Professional Footballers' Association chief executive Gordon Taylor welcomed the possibility of any bid launch.

606 DEBATE: Would you back a bid by the FA?

He said: "I remember the overall beneficial effect the World Cup had here in 1966.

"But I hope England getting it again for 2018 would focus a lot of minds on the needs for us to give a big priority to international football and youth development programme.

"The World Cup would be the sort of catalyst which would be needed to make people concentrate on the fact that the pool of players for England is contracting by the year.

"There is a need to work with schools, academies and centres of excellence to really develop a good quality squad of technically-gifted young players."

"Currently in England we have probably got eight out of the top 20 richest clubs in Europe - but for a long time now our international success has not equated with the power of football that we have for the club system in this country.