The USA have announced the are planning to bid for the 2018 World Cup, a move which will likely see them go up against an English bid.

Although the English Football Association is yet to formally announce their bid, backing has already been received from the government following a study into such a project, while Franz Beckenbauer is also said to want football’s biggest competition to return to the country with arguably the best domestic league in the world.

US Soccer Federation (USSF) president Sunil Gulati revealed on Tuesday that the USA is preparing a bid for the 2018 World Cup, despite hosting the tournament back in 1994. England, by contrast, famously last hosted the event back in 1966, winning one of the most memorable matches in history 4-2 against West Germany at Wembley.

The English FA, the government and other supporters who want to bring the World Cup to England will not be impressed with the USA attempting to influence FIFA in awarding them the 2018 competition. Neither will the be impressed at Gulati having hinted at how well the USA hosted the ‘94 finals when they were only a developing football nation.

with Major League Soccer (MLS) and the LA Galaxy having secured international superstar and former England captain, David Beckham starting this summer, and with other big names being linked with domestic football in the States, the USSF are hoping they can show FIFA and the world just how much they have moved on from 1994.

But this doesn’t give them a real reason to stake a claim for hosting the tournament. After all, some countries, and indeed, continents have had a long wait to get a chance at hosting the World Cup, with South Korea/Japan seeing the tournament head to Asia in 2002, and South Africa as hosts in 2010.

With FIFA set to pick a country from the Americas to host the 2014 event, the 2018 World Cup is most likely to return to Europe. Brazil are the only nation from South America with a hope of organising a World Cup, but in the modern era, when the organisation of prestigious tournaments has to be of the highest quality, the stadia have to be the best in the world and the infrastructure to host the tournament must be second-to-none to accommodate the thousands of supporters and demanding media who roll in to town.

Can Brazil offer this by 2014? I don’t believe so. Violence is still a major factor in the country, many of the stadia would need major redevelopment to meet acceptable standards and the current infrastructure will ultimately fail the tournament.

The USA, however, would be a more realistic option for 2014. We know they can host the tournament, there is no denying that, and in terms of stadia, they have some of the best in the world, and there would be competition from major cities across the country to host games.

Colombia are the only other country from South America who have expressed a desire of hosting the 2014 event, but given the volatile domestic situation there they have no chance.

The best thing for football would be for the 2014 World Cup to go to the USA, who will offer a great World Cup and that will free up the 2018 World Cup for England. But not only is it convenient to prevent any tensions politically, it would be the best thing for the tournament; football generally, and the fans who expect top quality events in facilities that are second to none.

What the USA will have against an English bid is their ability to promise that whatever they do -- unlike the English FA -- it will not go pear-shaped. The building of the new Wembley stadium is a prime example. Not only has gne way over budget, but it has been delivered years late.

England has some of the best stadia in world football and despite all the talk of poor transport systems, many cities are better equipped than most other countries aroudn the world.

London will be the centrepiece of any English bid with the Emirates Stadium and Wembley certain to play a part, while talks of Chelsea moving to a new stadium within the next decade may also come into the reckoning while the metropolis, already well past having hosted the 2012 Olympics, will have all the international connections and methods of transportation to support a tournament.

Manchester will also be a major player in the bid with good transport links and two world class stadia in the City of Manchester Stadium and Old Trafford and the tried and tested success of the Commonwealth Games under its belt.

Other cities which will likely play a part will be Newcastle and Liverpool, who both offer good stadia, while Cardiff, Glasgow and Edinburgh could also be brought into the bid. But with 11 years to go until the tournament, there is a chance for other cities to be be factored in.