Controversial FIFA vice President Jack Warner has rated Australia’s chances of holding the 2018 World Cup as “excellent”.

The CONCACAF president, who is said to influence three of the 13 required votes, has criticised England’s bid in recent weeks after several controversys including tempting the wifes of FIFA members with handbags. His praise for Australia shows that he is going to be extremely hard to persuade back towards supporting England.

Warner said: “Australia being allegedly ‘far away’ is a bit of a ridiculous statement. God created the world round for a reason. Distance is relative to where you stand and the Australian continent is nearer to two-thirds of the world’s population than most other places. If there is a country that truly deserves to host the FIFA World Cup, then it is the island continent of Australia.”

Warner said he had enjoyed frequent visits to Australia and pointed out that the Sydney 2000 Olympics were the “best ever”. He also added that Australia’s two consecutive qualifications for the World Cup and qualification for the 2010 tournament by New Zealand showed improved performance standards from teams in the South Pacific.

“Australia is known to be a sporting nation and a country of happy and warm-hearted people. If you ask me, Australia has an excellent chance of succeeding with its bid.”