England could play host to the World Cup in 2018 after Fifa abandoned its policy of rotating the staging of the finals through its six confederations yesterday, clearing the way for the tournament to return to Europe 12 years earlier than expected. Gordon Brown threw his weight behind any potential bid, which he said would “crown the greatest decade ever for British sport”.

“I am delighted Fifa have opened the door for the World Cup to come back to England,” the Prime Minister said. “By 2018, it will be 52 years since England hosted the World Cup. The nation that gave football to the world deserves to have the greatest tournament back on these shores.

“With the Olympics in 2012, possibly the Commonwealth Games in 2014, the rugby [union] World Cup in 2015 and the cricket World Cup in 2019, a football World Cup in 2018 would crown what I believe can be the greatest decade ever for British sport.

“If the Football Association decide to go ahead and bid for the tournament, they know they will have the full support of the Government.”

With Germany having held the 2006 finals, a rotation policy would have prevented England from bidding until Europe’s turn came round again in 2030, but yesterday’s unanimous decision by Fifa’s executive committee will give Europe a strong chance of providing the host nation in 2018.

The FA will discuss its next move at a meeting tomorrow, but it is inconceivable that it will not respond to such a clear signal of support from Downing Street. “It [the Fifa decision] is exactly what we were hoping for and we will discuss a timetable for a potential bid,” Brian Barwick, the FA chief executive, said. “I have always said that when the World Cup is next played in Europe, there is a strong argument for holding it in England.”

The ruling by Fifa, world football’s governing body, contained the proviso that countries belonging to confederations that have played host to the two preceding World Cups will be barred from applying, which rules out Africa and South America in 2018. South Africa, the first beneficiary of the rotation policy, are due to stage the finals in 2010 and Fifa is expected to confirm today that Brazil will be awarded the 2014 tournament. The 2018 finals will, therefore, be held in Asia, Europe, Oceania or Concacaf (North and Central America and the Caribbean).

That leaves England facing competition from Australia, China, Russia and either Mexico or the United States, all of whom have declared an interest in bidding. Italy, the World Cup holders, announced yesterday that they would not be bidding after concerns about violence and racism at stadiums prevented them from securing the 2012 European Championship finals, but the Benelux countries will bid, with matches to be staged in Belgium and the Netherlands.

Brazil are to make the final presentation today in their bid to stage the 2014 finals and, as the only candidate after Colombia withdrew, can hardly fail, although their case is not without flaw. Sepp Blatter, the Fifa president, had threatened to reopen the bidding process after questioning infrastructure and concerns remain over high crime levels. However, a report on stadiums has declared that the nation that has held the event only once, in 1950, but has won it five times could put on “an exceptional” tournament.

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