Reilly, a board member of the FFA, told a Melbourne Victory media launch at Crown Casino that he believed Australia was closer than was believed to securing the hosting rights of the World Cup in either 2018 or 2022.

He said that while the United States hosted the World Cup in 1994, it was a clear front-runner along with England which last hosted a World Cup back in 1966.

"While there are plenty of contenders for the right to host either of these World Cups, the US and England are clearly the two frontrunners," Reilly said.

"But Australia is in with a real chance and the Australian people and the Australian business community can not afford to underestimate Australia's hopes of hosting either of these World Cups."

Australia, England, Indonesia, Japan, Qatar, Mexico, Russia, South Korea, and the United States are the individual countries to have bid for the World Cup while Belgium and the Netherlands and Portugal and Spain have registered joint bids.