FIFA may use an Olympic-style bidding process to whittle down the countries interested in hosting the 2018 World Cup finals, the world soccer governing body’s president Sepp Blatter said Monday.

Blatter, speaking at Soccerex, the international soccer conference, said so many countries had already indicated an interest, or were expected to do so, that there may have to be a “preliminary elimination” to reduce the number of candidates.

“We are only in 2007, but the race for the 2018 World Cup has already started with a race of interested countries,” he said.

“Already we are hearing about the United States, Mexico, Canada, a combined bid from Belgium and Holland, Russia and of course England are interested. Spain — don’t forget about them — and also perhaps China, Australia and Japan.

“We could end up with eight or nine bidders for 2018 and we haven’t played (the) 2010 (finals) yet.”

“If there is actually as many candidates as there appears to 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 the decision on the 2018 finals would be taken in 2011, but that FIFA would consider reviewing their selection procedures.

South Africa eventually won the right to stage the finals and Brazil was awarded the 2014 tournament last month.

Earlier on Monday in Sydney, Asian Football Confederation president Mohamed Bin Hammam said Asia could join forces to support Australia’s bid to stage the 2018 finals.

He said Asia’s only chance of beating its European rivals would be with a united bid.

“As a confederation, we have to go in with one bid, we can’t have two or three...we just couldn’t afford that,” Bin Hammam, in Sydney for today’s AFC Player of the Year Award ceremony, told reporters.

(SD-Agencies)