FIFA Ends World Cup Rotation

ZURICH, Switzerland - The World Cup will no longer be rotated among continents, a decision Monday that will open the race for the 2018 tournament.

The new rule was made at a meeting of the governing body's executive committee and will take effect with the 2018 World Cup, FIFA spokesman John Schumacher said.

South Africa is set to host the 2010 event, and Brazil is expected to have its bid for 2014 confirmed Tuesday. The previous World Cup was in Germany in 2006.

FIFA has been under heavy pressure to open the 2018 bidding to allow nations outside North and Central America and the Caribbean to host the tournament.

The rotation system meant that after Colombia dropped out of the 2014 race, Brazil was left as the sole candidate - a situation FIFA president Sepp Blatter wanted to avoid in the future.

Nations interested in hosting the 2018 event include the United States, England, Russia, Australia, Spain, China, Mexico and a joint bid from the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.

"I am delighted that FIFA have opened the door for the World Cup to come back to England," British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Monday in a statement.

"By 2018, it will be 52 years since England hosted the World Cup. The nation which gave football to the world deserves to have the greatest tournament back on these shores."