ENGLAND has launched its bid to stage the World Cup in 2006. The British Government will back the English FA's bid.

"It's the next logical step for us," said FA chief executive Graham Kelly yesterday. "Nobody can question any longer our ability to stage the biggest sporting events.

UEFA president Lennart Johansson, impressed by "a new spirit of tolerance" in the last three weeks, met Kelly yesterday to discuss England's candidature which could net the FA £50 million.

But the first battle will be to persuade the Germans, World Cup hosts in 1974, to step aside and perhaps concentrate instead on the European Championship in 2004.

"One of our earliest actions will be to speak to the German FA and advise them that we are entering the arena," says Kelly.

UEFA will not want an election style contest, fearing a split European vote which could let in Africa or South America. They will try to broker the sort of compromise which in 1990 saw France take the 1998 World Cup while England gained the European Championship.

With Belgium and Holland hosting the next Euro finals, and Japan and Korea awarded the 2002 World Cup, there has been much talk of a joint bid with Scotland or Wales, helped by National Lottery funds. Kelly rules that out at this stage, saying: "With all due respect to Scotland, I don't really want to go down that road."

"A 32 team tournament can be done comfortably with 10 stadia," says Euro 96 organiser Glen Kirton.