Zico: 'England can hold 2022 World Cup'

Potential FIFA presidential candidate Zico has claimed that England would be suitable hosts for the 2022 World Cup if required.

Should Qatar lose the tournament, culture secretary John Whittingdale told the House of Commons yesterday that England would be ready to step in.

The bidding process for 2022 and the 2018 tournament in Russia is currently under investigation, and Zico has questioned the legitimacy of Qatar's right to hold the tournament.

He told Sky Sports News HQ: "With respect to Qatar as a country that wants to grow, you can't have a World Cup in a country that doesn't have football.

"If the irregularities are proven that there was buying of votes for this nomination, I think that, no matter who did it, we should stop and start over again, make a different kind of election.

"We have time. We have here different countries, England is one of them with infrastructure to hold a World Cup. This happened already - 1986, if I remember correctly."

Back in 1986, Mexico stepped in as hosts of the World Cup after Colombia pulled out.