Spain & Portugal enter 2018 race
Spain and Portugal have agreed to make a joint bid to host the 2018 World Cup.
They join England, Australia, Qatar, the United States, Russia, and a joint Belgium-Netherlands bid, in saying they will go for the 2018 tournament.
Countries must register their interest with Fifa by 2 February, and more bids are expected to follow.
Spain hosted the World Cup in 1982 and the European Championship in 1954, while more recently Portugal beat Spain to host Euro 2004.
Spanish federation president Angel Maria Villar and Portuguese counterpart Gilberto Madail signed the agreement for a joint bid in Lisbon on Monday.
The two countries will now form a joint committee to take the project forward.
Fifa will consider bids to host both the 2018 and 2022 tournaments over the next two years.
A joint Spain-Portugal bid will provide strong competition for England as they can expect support from the three South American representatives on Fifa's 24-man executive committee, who will decide a winner in December 2010.
Candidates must be able to provide up to 12 stadia with minimum capacities of 40,000 for group matches and 80,000 for the opening match and final.
Spain generally has the larger stadia and is expected to host most of the matches, although Portugal built seven new grounds and renovated three others for Euro 2004.
The 2010 World Cup will be held in South Africa while Brazil will host the 2014 tournament.
