Sepp Blatter, the Fifa president, has warned he may have to create a two-tier bidding system in the race to host the 2018 World Cup, with upto a dozen bids now possible.

The interest is in stark contrast the the bidding process for the 2014 tournament, with only Brazil seeing a bid through to the final vote because of Fifa's controversial rotation policy.

Blatter wants to introduce a preliminary inspection - which England should have no problem passing - to create an early shortlist of candidate host nations.

"If there will be as many candidates as it appears there might be, then we will have to do what the IOC does and have a preliminary elimination and only go with those who have given the right guarantees," he said.

"We are in 2007 and the 2018 World Cup has already started in a race of bidders from interested countries. USA, Mexico, Canada, Belgium and Holland who are united, Spain - don't forget them - Russia and of course England.

"Then there are China, Japan and Australia so we may have eight or nine bidders for 2018 and yet we haven't even played 2010."