Thirteen nations, 11 bids for World Cups

GENEVA: England, Australia, the United States and South Korea were among the 13 countries to have formally expressed their interest in hosting the 2018 or 2022 World Cups, FIFA said on Tuesday.

The 11 potential bids include joint efforts by Belgium and the Netherlands, who have already linked up to stage Euro 2000, and from 1982 World Cup hosts Spain and Euro 2004 hosts Portugal.

Indonesia, Japan (2002 co-hosts with South Korea), Russia, Mexico, the venue for the 1970 World Cup, and Qatar were the other countries that came forward by Monday's preliminary deadline, world football's governing body said in a statement.