After WC title, Spain looks to 2018 bid

Madrid: Now that Spain has its first World Cup title, the country's football authorities are focussing on another ambition — winning the right to host a World Cup.

Secretary of state for sport Jaime Lissavetzy says the joint bid with neighboring Portugal to host either the 2018 or 2022 event is Spain's "next very difficult challenge."

Lissavetzy says the World Cup victory in South Africa this month, when the Netherlands was beaten 1-0 in the final, showed Spain is "an international power" in sports.

However, he said in a speech to the Spanish Football Federation on Tuesday the bid faces "awesome rivals."

Spain, which is also European champion, hosted the 1982 World Cup.

FIFA will announce the hosts in December.