ZURICH , Switzerland -- FIFA hierarchy have voted to scrap the policy of rotating World Cup finals between the six continental confederations , following a meeting in Switzerland . Vice-president Chung said the rotation would be dropped from 2018 . Executive committee vice-president Chung Mong-joon announced in Zurich on Monday that by a unanimous vote it had been decided to drop the rotation from 2018 . Chung explained that all associations would be free to apply to host future World Cup finals , providing they did not belong to confederations that had staged either of the two previous tournaments . South Africa is set to host the 2010 event , and Brazil is expected to have its bid for 2014 confirmed on Tuesday . 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 . Blatter said the executive committee rejected a proposal from CONCACAF to restrict the competition to the North America region for the 2018 tournament and then open it up . `` FIFA 's decision does not change our own commitment to try to bring the World Cup back to the United States , '' U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati said . `` I believe that a U.S. bid will be very competitive . '' South Korea and Japan shared the 2002 World Cup and Germany was the host in 2006 . `` If you go back to 2002 , and look at the recent history of rotation ... it 's been Asia , Europe , Africa and with 2014 going to South America , '' CONCACAF general secretary Chuck Blazer told The Associated Press . `` I thought in all logic and fairness the next cycle should be CONCACAF . Regrettably , that did not carry the day . Blatter indicated there is widespread interest in hosting the 2018 World Cup . `` Already we have a bunch of big , great candidates , '' he said . Other nations interested in hosting the 2018 event include 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 . '' England 's FIFA vice-president Geoff Thompson said : `` We welcome the decision made by the FIFA executive committee and will now consider our position . '' The English FA will discuss the matter at Wednesday 's board meeting . Blatter said the FIFA executive committee would decide on the 2018 hosts in 2011 and that bids would have to be submitted at least two years in advance . `` I think they should start their bidding campaign tomorrow ! '' he quipped . The FIFA supremo confirmed that Sebastian Coe , chairman of FIFA 's ethics committee , would play a key role in the 2018 bidding process . `` We try to be fair and transparent and we have had a discussion on this matter with the chairman of our ethics committee and we have invited him and his committee to overlook the bid process , '' said Blatter . `` This will be not only looking at the FIFA executive committee -- you should also have a look at the bidders and he will do that . '' If there are a large number of candidates for 2018 -- Blatter mentioned 10 or 11 countries -- then FIFA will adopt the Olympic policy of making a 'pre-selection ' to reduce the bidders . FIFA , meanwhile , have announced new rules to clamp down on third-party ownership of players following the Carlos Tevez controversy involving West Ham . The new FIFA regulation states : `` No club shall enter into a contract which enables any other party to that contract , or any third party to acquire the ability to influence in employment and transfer-related matters its independence , its policies or the performance of its teams . `` The FIFA disciplinary committee may impose disciplinary measures on clubs that do not observe the obligations set out in this article . '' Tevez joined West Ham from Brazilian side Corinthians , who have since become embroiled in an investigation by Brazilian police . FIFA president Sepp Blatter said : `` Identification of ownership of this club and the transfer of money going from there to England is a matter which has already been dealt with partially . `` We have been presented with a new approach about how to try to solve this problem and it will be ratified to come into force at the end of the year . '' E-mail to a friend .
FIFA will end its # ##s for the hosting of World Cup finals . Confederations who have not hosted either of the previous two finals may bid . FIFA is likely to put forward a bid to host the 2018 final .