Australian soccer bosses are confident the nation’s World Cup bid will stand up as a 2022-only venture should FIFA decide Europe will host the event in 2018.

Football Federation Australia chairman Frank Lowy said his organisation had always recognised there was a push for Europe to be awarded the 2018 World Cup.

Those moves gathered speed on Tuesday when FIFA president Sepp Blatter indicated European bids may be the only ones considered for 2018, and he had discussed the matter with European football chief Michel Platini.

But billionaire shopping centre magnate Lowy said Australia’s bid was directed at both 2018 and 2022, and there was no reason to suggest any FIFA directive would harm Australia’s hopes of hosting the World Cup.

“If we come to the view that we have a better chance for 2022 than 2018, we will act accordingly,” Lowy said in a statement on Wednesday.

Australia’s most realistic chance of winning the World Cup has always been 2022, with 2018 seen as more likely to go to European contenders Russia, England or the combined bids of Spain/Portugal and The Netherlands/Belgium.

FIFA’s proposal may even be a positive for the Australian bid for 2022.

It would effectively move all the European heavy-hitters into a 2018 bid contest, with Europe then highly unlikely to be considered for 2022 as well.

That would leave Australia and the United States as the leading contenders in a six-horse field bidding for 2022, along with fellow Asian nations Qatar, Indonesia, Japan and South Korea.

Japan and Korea last hosted the event in 2002, Qatar has the difficulty of 40-degree plus temperatures in June and July, while Indonesia has infrastructure issues to deal with.

Federal Sports Minister Kate Ellis said the government remained committed to hosting either World Cup.

“We have had no formal advice to any changes to the bidding process,” she said in Adelaide.

“This has absolutely not changed, we believe we have a great chance of bringing a World Cup home to Australia.”

The FFA is confident should FIFA decide to limit the 2018 bid to Europe, there would be no need for major changes to Australia’s “bid book” outlining its full details, which is due to be submitted to world soccer’s governing body in May.

Plans for stadia and infrastructure improvements are due next month.

The final decision on the 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosts will be made by FIFA’s Executive Committee in December.

© AAP 2012

Enjoy sports? Enjoy a bargain? All Sports Online has your favourite sporting brands at up to 70% off. Online only, premium quality sporting goods and merchandise at discounted prices. Get a deal now.