Australia today launched a bid to host the 2014 World Cup, one of the few competitive challenges to elude the sports-mad nation.
Officials said they wanted to bring the World Cup back to the Asia-Pacific region in 2014 after being inspired by the success of this year's event in South Korea and Japan, the first to be held outside the Americas and Europe.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter said Australia's push for the 2014 tournament was "a realisitic initiative", shrugging off questions about the country's lack of soccer pedigree.
"We are open minded and the time is yours, you can never start too early" he told a press conference marking the bid's formal launch on the steps of the Sydney Opera House.
Australia's national team, the Socceroos, is ranked 50th in the world by FIFA and only qualified for the World Cup once in 1974, when they were eliminated in the first round.
Soccer runs far behind rival football codes in popularity among the Australian sporting public, although the 2002 World Cup attracted unprecedented interest because similar time zones made it easier for viewers to tune in.
While the country may lack a passionate domestic soccer culture, it demonstrated an ability to stage large sporting events with the 2000 Olympic Games. It will also host the 2003 rugby union World Cup and the 2006 Commonwealth Games.
The states of News South Wales and Victoria will spearhead the 2014 bid, with officials confirming they have already begun work on long-term planning and logistics.
"We have the venues in place, we've got the expertise and we've certainly got the crowds," Victorian deputy premier John Thwaites said.
Blatter said South Korea and Japan set a new benchmark with the running of this year's World Cup and Australia achieved a similar feat with the 2000 Olympics.
Australia's federal government is yet to back the state's bid for the tournament and Blatter said he would discuss the issue with Prime Minister John Howard at a meeting tomorrow.
The Australians also want to host the 2007 Confederations Cup, a tournament between the champions of the world's soccer confederations.
AFP