Thierry Henry and David Beckham are being lined up as ambassadors for England's 2018 World Cup bid.Thierry Henry and David Beckham may be approached to act as ambassadors for England's 2018 World Cup bid if the FA decides to proceed with plans to bring the tournament to England for the first time since 1966. The bid, which gathered impetus yesterday with the publication of a feasibility study backed by Gordon Brown, would seek to enlist footballing "ambassadors" and Henry and Beckham are at the top of the list. Seb Coe, chairman of London 2012 and Fifa's ethics committee, could also expect to be approached.
Brown held a photocall at Wembley yesterday to announce publication of the study into bidding for 2018, a document which concludes that England had an excellent chance of success. Fifa does not require a firm commitment from the FA until 2010 but, with the next two World Cups being held in Africa and South America, 2018 is widely seen as "Europe's turn".
The study concludes that England is well placed because most of the infrastructure is in place and public support is strong. Six stadiums already meet the Fifa requirements and a further five have been identified as possible venues. The report also stresses that unlike the Olympics the bulk of the expense would be borne by football clubs. It is a mark of the concerns raised by the Olympic experience that the study repeatedly warns that the FA will have to provide "robust and realistic assessments of costs" to secure government support.
The chancellor's support was welcomed by the FA but prompted accusations of opportunism from opposition parties, and suspicions within football that the game is being bounced into bidding on a timetable driven by his electoral ambitions. The feasibility study was launched unilaterally by Brown in November 2005 and the FA has since been at pains to work with the Treasury while stressing that a decision on bidding is at least two years away. The FA has also been keen to foster cross-party support, which was notable by its absence yesterday. The shadow sports minister, Hugh Robertson, accused Brown of "a silly publicity stunt" and said the Olympics should be his priority.