Published 4/13/2007 4:41:48 PM by Staff from AFP

Colombia has withdrawn its bid to host the World Cup in 2014, leaving Brazil with a clear run to host the finals earmarked for a South American country, FIFA said Friday.  The Brazilian football association handed over the formal document confirming its bid on Friday and now has until July to secure government guarantees to host the event, the world governing body said in a statement.

"Brazil is now the only remaining candidate for the right to host the 2014 FIFA World Cup after the Colombian football association officially withdrew its candidature on April 11," it added.

Colombian footballing officials gave no reason for the decision, FIFA said.  A group of FIFA inspectors will visit Brazil in September 2007 and submit a technical report by November 1, when FIFA's Executive Committee is set to name the host nation.

World footballing chiefs had clearly signalled their preference for Brazil in recent months, saying they were prepared to hold an accelerated process if only one candidate was ready to host the finals in 2014.  Brazil, five-times World Cup winners, have hosted the event once before in 1950, when its team lost 2-1 to Uruguay in the final.  Four previous World Cups have been held in South America: Uruguay 1930, Brazil 1950, Chile 1962 and Argentina 1978. The Brazilian bid has faced sharp criticism at home, amid warnings that the country's infrastructure is not up to scratch.

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