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Fifa president Sepp Blatter has revealed that the race to host the 2018 World Cup could be limited to European countries.

England and Russia have applied separately to stage the 2018 and/or the 2022 World Cup, while Spain-Portugal and Netherlands-Belgium have made joint bids for one or both.

Australia, the United States and Japan have also bid for the 2018 and/or 2022 tournament, and South Korea, Indonesia and Qatar have all applied to host only the 2022 event.

It has long been speculated that 2018 will be Europe’s year to host the World Cup and the received wisdom is that the non-European countries in the running are fighting it out for 2022.

It has now emerged that Blatter has discussed a Europe-only plan with Michel Platini, president of European football’s governing body Uefa.

"There is a movement at the moment among the various candidates that in the end it would be a good solution if the candidates for 2018 would only be those from Europe," said Blatter at a news conference.

"It's not been finally decided but it's the idea, also to make the work of Fifa easier and especially that of the executive committee," he added after meeting Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero in Madrid.

"It would also possibly make the work of the different organisations applying for the World Cup easier."

Meanwhile, Blatter believes African players based in Europe should be allowed to miss the Africa Cup of Nations in World Cup years.

He suggested to Confederation of African Football president Issa Hayatou that the tournament could feature only African-based players in the years it coincides with the World Cup to stop the leading internationals suffering burnout by the summer.

Speaking to Al Ahram Weekly, an English-language newspaper backed by the Egyptian government, Blatter said: “Being a bi-annual event could be tiring to the players, especially in the year of the World Cup.

“The players play in European leagues, then travel to the Africa Cup of Nations, then go back to play in the European leagues, and then join the national team for the World Cup a few months later.

“I suggested to Mr Hayatou that during that year, if they insist on having it every two years, they should hold an African championship which involves only the local players and not the professionals – that would solve the problem.”

Blatter did, however, support the current bi-annual set-up, saying it “forces” every African country to build a football infrastructure because so many nations are given the opportunity to host the event.

“It is not only football stadiums but roads, hotels, telecommunications and transportation – otherwise they will never have any stadiums in some countries," he added.

“All other continents hold this event every four years. I don't know if Africa will change or not as long as it works well for them as it is now. Actually, I don't think it will change."