updated 3:32 p.m. ET Oct. 6, 2008

BRUSSELS, Belgium - FIFA president Sepp Blatter will propose new World Cup bidding rules that would dash U.S. hopes of hosting the 2018 tournament but put the Americans in prime position to stage soccer’s showcase event in 2022.

Blatter said Monday he wants to avoid the World Cup staying in the Americas after Brazil stages it in 2014. He said there were enough strong candidates to organize the world’s biggest sports event in 2018 that some countries should be spilled over into the 2022 bidding process.

“There are so many that I will propose to the executive committee that we shall open the bid for 2018 and 2022 and try to channel the different bidders,” Blatter said at the European parliament.

“For instance, we are now in the Americas for 2014 and we know that the USA, Mexico — they will be candidates,” adding they would be excluded because of their continental proximity.

Instead, chances are that the World Cup would return to Europe in the wake of the highly successful edition in Germany two years ago.

“You know there is a wish and a will that every third World Cup shall come back to Europe,” Blatter said.

Japan and South Korea co-hosted the 2002 World Cup. The competition will go to Africa for the first time in 2010, when South Africa is the host.

The United States hosted the World Cup for the first time in 1994.

“We’ve noted the president’s comments as well as his previous remarks,” U.S. Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati said. “As I’ve said in the past, we won’t make any final decisions until we get more clear guidance from FIFA about the bidding for 2018 and 2022. We expect that to be in the next three-to-four months, if not sooner.”

FIFA’s executive committee scrapped the continental rotation policy last year. Ever since, candidates have been lining up.

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“In Europe, you have definitely England, Spain — Spain alone or with Portugal — Russia. And then you have China, Japan, Australia, Qatar,” Blatter said.

Belgium and the Netherlands have a joint bid already deposited at FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland.

“If you ask me what is the chance of Belgium and Holland, it is a good candidature, definitely,” Blatter said. “But the competition is a high-level competition.”

Blatter will make the proposals for a regional bidding structure later this month.

The 2018 host will be selected at an executive committee meeting in 2011. Blatter said earlier this year that FIFA is considering choosing venues for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups at the same time, arguing it would make better economic sense for the venues to be selected sooner rather than later.

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