The legendary player Franz Beckenbauer said for BBC that in his opinion England should host the 2018 football World Cup.

Beckenbauer, who won the World Cup with Germany as a player and as a manager, said: "There is no better country in Europe to host the World Cup in 2018. The Premier League at the moment is the best league in Europe and the stadiums are outstanding.”

"I think the most important thing is to have an end of the rotation and bring the World Cup back to Europe. And there is no question that for 2018 England is the favourite.” he added.

England are expected to launch an official bid to stage the tournament early next year amid conflicting signals from FIFA boss Joseph Blatter about the rotation policy.

The 2002 World Cup was in South Korea and Japan, the 2006 edition in Europe, 2010 in South Africa and 2014 most likely in Brazil, who is the only bidder for that event.

"There is no written rule they (Europe) can have it. Other confederations have shown they can organise it," Blatter said yesterday, where he attempted the Asian Cup between Iraq and Saudi Arabia.

Other Europeans bidder for 2018 World Cup could be Russia and Italy, but also the US, China and Australia seems to be interested according to Blatter.

However Beckenbauer, a member of FIFA's 24-strong executive committee, which decides the World Cup host, sees England as the most serious candidate.

"The Premier League at the moment is the best league in Europe and the stadiums are outstanding. In my opinion, there is only one very serious candidate and it is England. I think there is not really a problem to pick a host of the 2018 World Cup," he said.