MOSCOW, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- Russia on Friday officially launched its bid to host either the 2018 or 2022 football World Cup.

    "We are a society of sport fans, where no single sport is more universally revered and passionately pursued than football," the bid committee said in a statement on its website.

    "We are a people universally dedicated to our bid -- from our government, to our economy, to our people," it said.

    Russia has never hosted a major football tournament, although Moscow was the host city for the 1980 Olympic Games and the Black Sea resort of Sochi will stage the 2014 Winter Olympics.

    "This project is important not only for football, but for the whole country," Russian Sport Minister Vitaly Mutko, who also chairs the Russian Football Union, was quoted as saying by RIA Novosti news agency.

    "Hosting the World Cup will exert a positive influence on the youth of the country and leave a sporting and economic legacy," he said.

    FIFA chief Joseph Blatter is to meet with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in Moscow next week to ensure that the Russian bid will receive government support.

    Russia announced its bid to stage the 2018 World Cup early this year. Other candidates are Australia, Belgium and the Netherlands, England, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Spain and Portugal, Qatar, and the United States. 

    Local media said Russia's main rival is likely to be England, which has not hosted a World Cup since 1966. 

    FIFA will vote on the host nations for 2018 and 2022 in December 2010.