Blatter says Australia's record of staging big events will help them

Fifa president Sepp Blatter has announced that the 2018 and 2022 World Cups will be awarded at the same time.

Speaking at the congress of football's governing body in Sydney, Blatter also revealed that Australia are in the running to host the 2018 tournament.

"You can say we've been to Asia for the World Cup but Australia is something very special because it is quite a continent in itself," he said.

"I think it would be a wonderful achievement if this can happen."

Australia are in a group of nations bidding for the 2018 tournament along with England, Russia and the United States.

But any simultaneous announcement means that if Australia miss out on 2018, they will have an increased chance of becoming hosts four years later.

"There is a European thinking in football by saying we are the owners of football because we have the best players but they have the best players because they have the highest amount of money," Blatter said.

"This does not say that the executive committee of Fifa shall have an inter-continental approach.

"That's why in the first we went to Africa (for the 2010 tournament in South Africa)."

Blatter also intends to use the conference as a showcase for his plans to curb the number of foreign players in domestic teams, insisting quotas are vital for the future of the sport.

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"Football would no longer be able to fulfil the aims of Fifa which include a role to develop the game everywhere."