Triesman, who is also chairman of the bid, led a delegation to Zurich, including England head coach Fabio Capello, to meet FIFA president Sepp Blatter.

Afterwards Triesman said: "I am not going to start with the belief that we are favourites.

"We have to demonstrate that we can win it on merit but very often it is the toughest competition that sharpens your game the most.

"I welcome this like I would welcome the kind of match between two clubs at the top of their game."

Andy Burnham, secretary of state for culture, media and sport, also travelled to Zurich to affirm the Government's backing for the bid.

Triesman added: "It was extremely helpful to be able to confirm the Government's support for the initiative."

Capello is one of the bid vice-presidents and said it was time football "came home".

The Italian told Sky Sports News: "I think England would be a fantastic place for the World Cup.

"The stadia are okay, the people are fantastic as well so I think it needs to come back here after so many years.

"I hope this will be in 2018 because England is the place where football was born. I think England needs football to come back home."

Bidding for the 2018 World Cup will be conducted simultaneously with the 2022 tournament and candidates can bid for either or both - both winners will be announced in December 2010.

Other members of the England delegation were bid chief executive Andy Anson, ex-FA chairman Geoff Thompson, who is now a FIFA and UEFA vice-president, and England women's coach Hope Powell.

Their meeting with Blatter plus FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke and Jerome Champage, Blatter's special delegate, lasted four minutes.

Anson said: "We came to listen to what FIFA were looking for from a World Cup tournament and we had some very constructive dialogue with the FIFA president.

"What was clearly understood was the importance of a legacy that a tournament can and should provide and we will be looking to show that we can deliver what FIFA wants on all fronts."

Burnham added: "I came here today to show that the Government stands right behind the bid team. I think we got off to a good start today but we'll take nothing for granted and make no assumptions.

"As far as I am concerned, an important part of the process is not what the world can do for England with a World Cup tournament but what England can do for the world."

England face competition from Spain/Portugal, Russia, Holland/Belgium, USA, Mexico, Australia, Japan, Qatar, Korea and Indonesia.