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Australian soccer fans will be hoping the nation’s chances of hosting the World Cup receive a kick along when Prime Minister Kevin Rudd meets FIFA boss Sepp Blatter.
Rudd is due to fly from Berlin to Zurich for a brief meeting with Blatter on Wednesday to push for Australia to be chosen as the host for either the 2018 or 2022 championships.
Football Federation Australia (FFA) chairman Frank Lowy will join the prime minister in an attempt to convince Blatter that Australia is the ideal host nation.
The pair are due to fly to Zurich on Wednesday afternoon (AEST) and hold talks with Blatter before the prime minister heads to Rome.
Australia faces stiff competition from nine other countries, including England, Russia and the United States, as FIFA prepares to make its decision in December next year on who will host the championships.
Rudd’s talks with Blatter come after the Socceroos hit their all-time highest world ranking of 16.
The national team have also recently celebrated qualifying for the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa – the first time the national team will appear in back-to-back finals.
Before travelling to Europe, Rudd said Australia would be a “fabulous” host for the World Cup, which he described as the “greatest event on earth”.
“This is an extraordinary opportunity to showcase Australia to the world,” he said.
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