Before heading off on his European trip, the PM addressed an Italian-Australian fundraising dinner in Melbourne where football was firmly on the menu.

Mr Rudd, who helped launch Australia's World Cup bid in Canberra last month, will attempt to push Australia's case with Blatter as the politics of securing a bid begin to crank up.

In his address the PM said: "Before I visit Italy, I will drop in on the President of FIFA, Sepp Blatter, in Zurich and explain to him what a fabulous venue Australia would be for the World Cup in 2018 or 2022."

The PM said that no other event, aside from the 2000 Olympics had united the country in the way that the 2006 World Cup had.

And Mr Rudd clearly has his eyes on more than mere satisfaction at qualification for a second successive tournament.

"Perhaps I won't quote late Australian legend Johnny Warren who famously once said that his country should stop wondering whether they would qualify for World Cups and instead should ask when they would start winning them," he said.

"Whoever we support in next year's World Cup, we all love the game, and we all agree that the World Cup should come to Australia."

Australia's World Cup bid team will also be in Zurich this week for a FIFA workshop.