England and Germany are football's two biggest rivals, so it's not often that one compliments the other.
So it's come as a big surprise that Germany legend Franz Beckenbauer believes that England would be fit to host the World Cup "tomorrow."
England, which is the world's richest football nation and boasts arguably the best stadia in Europe, is one of nine countries to have bid to host the World Cup in 2018 and one of 11 to have bid for 2022.
Next year's World Cup is hosted by South Africa and the 2014 World Cup is in Brazil. So Beckenbauer, who is on the Fifa committee that will decide the 2018 and 2022 hosts, believes the 2018 World Cup would probably be in Europe - and he would like to see it in England, which hasn't hosted the tournament since 1966.
All the other big European footballing nations have hosted more recently - Spain in 1982, Italy in 1990, France in 1998 and Germany in 2006.
BBC Sport
Sunday 5th July 2009
Franz Beckenbauer is on the Fifa committee that will decide the hosts
Former World Cup winner Franz Beckenbauer believes England would be fit to host the World Cup "tomorrow" because of its magnificent stadiums and fans.
The ex-West Germany skipper sits on the Fifa committee that will decide the 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosts.
He stopped short of endorsing England's World Cup bid but admitted he would like Europe to host the tournament in 2018.
"As a Uefa member, I would like to see it in Europe but it is an open race," he told Australia's Sun-Herald.
England is one of nine countries to have bid to host the World Cup in 2018 and one of 11 to have bid for 2022.
World class: Arsenal's 60,355 capacity Emirates Stadium in north London will host games in the 2018 World Cup if England wins the bid
"England could host it tomorrow because they have the stadiums, the infrastructure, the fans, everything," Beckenbauer said. "But there are a lot of other different countries bidding. Let's wait and see."
Fifa will name the successful bidders in December 2010 but bids from the same continent as the chosen host for 2018 would be ineligible for 2022.
Given that the 2010 World Cup will be held in South Africa and the 2014 tournament in Brazil, Beckenbauer said Europe should be next.
"It's (the decision) too far away, it's more than one year to go," he said. "(But) It will be Europe's turn.
Beckenbauer went on to say that Australia's chances to host the World Cup in 2022 could be strong if 2018 went to Europe.
"I think they have a good chance because the World Cup has never been to Australia," he said. "Australia's a beautiful country, a beautiful continent."
news.bbc.co.uk/sport
So it's come as a big surprise that Germany legend Franz Beckenbauer believes that England would be fit to host the World Cup "tomorrow."
England, which is the world's richest football nation and boasts arguably the best stadia in Europe, is one of nine countries to have bid to host the World Cup in 2018 and one of 11 to have bid for 2022.
Next year's World Cup is hosted by South Africa and the 2014 World Cup is in Brazil. So Beckenbauer, who is on the Fifa committee that will decide the 2018 and 2022 hosts, believes the 2018 World Cup would probably be in Europe - and he would like to see it in England, which hasn't hosted the tournament since 1966.
All the other big European footballing nations have hosted more recently - Spain in 1982, Italy in 1990, France in 1998 and Germany in 2006.
BBC Sport
Sunday 5th July 2009
Franz Beckenbauer is on the Fifa committee that will decide the hosts
Former World Cup winner Franz Beckenbauer believes England would be fit to host the World Cup "tomorrow" because of its magnificent stadiums and fans.
The ex-West Germany skipper sits on the Fifa committee that will decide the 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosts.
He stopped short of endorsing England's World Cup bid but admitted he would like Europe to host the tournament in 2018.
"As a Uefa member, I would like to see it in Europe but it is an open race," he told Australia's Sun-Herald.
England is one of nine countries to have bid to host the World Cup in 2018 and one of 11 to have bid for 2022.
World class: Arsenal's 60,355 capacity Emirates Stadium in north London will host games in the 2018 World Cup if England wins the bid
"England could host it tomorrow because they have the stadiums, the infrastructure, the fans, everything," Beckenbauer said. "But there are a lot of other different countries bidding. Let's wait and see."
Fifa will name the successful bidders in December 2010 but bids from the same continent as the chosen host for 2018 would be ineligible for 2022.
Given that the 2010 World Cup will be held in South Africa and the 2014 tournament in Brazil, Beckenbauer said Europe should be next.
"It's (the decision) too far away, it's more than one year to go," he said. "(But) It will be Europe's turn.
Beckenbauer went on to say that Australia's chances to host the World Cup in 2022 could be strong if 2018 went to Europe.
"I think they have a good chance because the World Cup has never been to Australia," he said. "Australia's a beautiful country, a beautiful continent."
news.bbc.co.uk/sport
