Beckham delivers England's World Cup bid

David Beckham today delivered the 1,752-page bid book which is hoped will persuade FIFA to award England the 2018 World Cup.

Football's world governing body will announce the hosts of the 2018 and 2022 tournaments on December 2 and nine candidates, in alphabetical order starting with Australia, handed over their bids to FIFA chief Sepp Blatter this morning.

Beckham, who presented the book to Blatter in Zurich, said: "We have a lot of passion, football is something which runs through our veins."

Competition comes from the likes of Russia and a joint Dutch-Belgian bid, but England organisers believe that one of their trump cards is the ability to drive up the commercial revenues of the event.

FIFA is expected to net £2.1billion in TV and sponsorship from the 2010 World Cup but England estimates it can increase that income by a third, taking it near the £3billion mark.

In 2005, Beckham played a part in helping Britain win the right to stage the 2012 Olympics and the FA hope of a similarly galvanising effect in persuading FIFA to allow England to stage the World Cup for the first time since 1966.

The former England captain, who led the five-strong delegation in Zurich, has published a two-page letter outlining the strengths of the 2018 bid.

His letter read: "It shows how passionate we are as a nation for football, how our society is amongst the most diverse in the world with communities ready to welcome every team."

In addition to Beckham, FIFA and UEFA vice-president Geoff Thompson, FA and England 2018 chairman David Triesman along with England 2018 chief executive Andy Anson were in Zurich.

A European bid is expected to get the 2018 tournament with England up against Russia and joint bids from Spain

ith Portugal and Belgium along with the Netherlands. The other bidders, although they are mainly focused on the 2022 tournament, are Australia, the United States, Japan, Qatar and South Korea.

Blatter has already spoken in glowing terms of England's bid which includes 12 towns and cities from Sunderland to Plymouth, calling it "the easiest bid in the world," but has also described the plans put forward by Russia as "remarkable."

Back home, major figures in West Midlands football also backed England's bid.

Villa boss Martin O'Neill said: "I think Birmingham would make an excellent home for the 2018 World Cup. The West Midlands is a terrifically strong football area right at the heart of the country.

"Villa Park hosted games in the 1966 World Cup and it would be great to repeat that feat in this magnificent city in 2018."

Birmingham City manager Alex McLeish said: "Birmingham is the perfect city to host the 2018 World Cup.

"The good people of Birmingham would love to stage such a showpiece global event in their city."

Albion director Jeff Farmer added: "This is a fantastic potential opportunity for the football family of the West Midlands, not just for the clubs involved, but for the whole of the fan base."