US will make decision about 2018 World Cup at "right time" claims Gulati

July 3 – The United States have still not made a decision about whether to abandon its campaign to host the 2018 World Cup and instead concentrate all its efforts on 2022, the bid leader Sunil Gulati has claimed.

The US is the only non-European bidder left for 2018 following the withdrawal last month of Australia.

England and Russia are considered the favourites for 2018, where they will face joint bids from Belgium and Netherlands and Spain and Portugal, with the US very much the outsiders.

But US, along with Australia, are considered the favourites for 2022.

Gulati, the President of United States Soccer, said: ”I am feeling good about things, but not taking anything for granted.

“I understand the sentiment about 2018 being in Europe and we will do what is in our interests at the right time, and if that means focusing on one or the other, we will do that at the right time.

“I don’t see any reason to do that now.

“We’ve talked with the appropriate people at FIFA leadership, and they are comfortable with that as well.

“I don’t think we are going to know [whether the U.S. will win the bid] with any certainty until very late in the game.”