Australia upped the stakes in their bid for the 2018 World Cup yesterday as Prime Minister Kevin Rudd briefly detoured from the G8 talks to meet with Sepp Blatter in Zurich.
This is the second meeting between the two men but this time Rudd was armed with Football Federation Australia’s promotional video and a complimentary bottle of wine.
Rudd argued that awarding the finals to Australia would open up football to a new frontier and Blatter is thought to have been impressed with the level of government support.
The frontrunners now include England, America and Russia but Australia’s bid has unique selling points that could derail the competition.
Competition for the 2018 and 2022 finals is expected to be fierce with 11 countries currently bidding. Australia’s bid gains strength by its proximity to Asian time zones and the excellent record it has in hosting previous sporting tournaments, most notably the Sydney Olympics in 2000.