<P> Fourteen cities were included in the proposal, which divided them into five different clusters: one in the north, centered on Saint Petersburg, a central cluster, centered on Moscow, a southern cluster, centered on Sochi, and the Volga River cluster . Only one city beyond the Ural Mountains was cited, Yekaterinburg . The other cities were: Kaliningrad in the north cluster, Rostov - on - Don and Krasnodar in the south cluster and Yaroslavl, Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Saransk, Samara and Volgograd in the Volga River cluster . At the time of bidding, Russia did not have a stadium with 80,000 capacity, but the bid called for the expansion of Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, already a UEFA Elite stadium, from a capacity of slightly over 78,000 to over 89,000 . Russia hoped to have five stadiums fit to host World Cup matches ready by 2013--two in Moscow and one stadium each in Saint Petersburg, Kazan and Sochi, which at the time was due to host the 2014 Winter Olympics . </P> <P> In September 2007, the Football Federation Australia confirmed that Australia would bid for the 2018 World Cup finals . Previously, in late May 2006, the Victorian sports minister, Justin Madden, said that he wanted his state to drive a bid to stage the 2018 World Cup . Frank Lowy, the FFA chairman, stated that they aimed to use 16 stadiums for the bid . Former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced the Federal Government's support for the bid, and in December 2008, Federal minister for sport Kate Ellis announced that the federal government would give the FFA $45.6 million to fund its World Cup bid preparation . Rudd met with Sepp Blatter to discuss the Commonwealth Government's support of the bid in Zurich in July 2009 . </P> <P> At the 2008 FIFA Congress, held in Sydney, FIFA president Sepp Blatter suggested that Australia concentrate on hosting the 2022 tournament, but Lowy responded by recommitting Australia to its 2018 bid . However, Australia ultimately withdrew from the bidding for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in favour of the 2022 FIFA World Cup on 10 June 2010, following comments from the chief of the Asian Football Confederation that the 2018 tournament should be held in Europe . </P> <P> Australia's largest stadiums are currently used by other major Australian sports whose domestic seasons overlap with the World Cup . The Australian Football League and National Rugby League claimed that loss of access to these major venues for eight weeks would severely disrupt their seasons and impact the viability of their clubs . The AFL in particular had previously advised it would not relinquish Etihad Stadium in Melbourne for the entire period required . On 9 May 2010 the AFL, NRL, and FFA announced a Memorandum of Understanding guaranteeing that the AFL and NRL seasons would continue, should the bid be successful . Compensation for the rival football codes would be awarded as a result of any disruptions caused by hosting the World Cup . AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou came out in support of the bid, despite initially not supporting the bid . Franz Beckenbauer indicated that the issue of factional disputes between the FFA, NRL and, AFL were not considered by the FIFA Executive Committee . Although initially Australia seemed to be a popular contender to host the tournament, the final Australian World Cup bid received only one vote astonishing Franz Beckenbauer and experts alike . </P>

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