ZURICH, Switzerland - FIFA has received 11 preliminary bids to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup, including applications from the United States, England and Russia.

FIFA said the "expressions of interest" received by the Tuesday deadline did not include China. Egypt withdrew at the last minute.

Mexico, South Korea, Japan, Australia, Indonesia and Qatar all submitted the paperwork on time.

Netherlands-Belgium and Spain-Portugal each made joint offers, although FIFA president Sepp Blatter has expressed a preference for single-nation bids.

"It is remarkable that so many high-quality contenders have expressed an initial interest in hosting our flagship competition," Blatter said in a statement.

The Canadian Soccer Association has said that it is concentrating its efforts on the 2015 women's World Cup. Canada finished runner-up to Germany in the race to host the 2011 women's tournament.

In an e-mail to The Canadian Press, association general secretary Peter Montopoli said the CSA has had "initial discussions with US Soccer" about possibly playing a part in the American bid for the men's tournament but that the talks were "very preliminary at this stage."

Egypt, which on Monday appeared to be the only African country interested in hosting the tournament in 2018 or 2022, pulled its bid without explanation.

China opted out of bidding, state media reported Tuesday. There had been speculation Beijing would seek to build on its hosting of the Olympics last year.

FIFA will now ask each bidder to fill out a detailed form and send it back by March 16.

Six of the bidders have previously staged a World Cup -- England in 1966; Mexico in 1970 and 1986; Spain in 1982; the United States in 1994; and South Korea and Japan as co-hosts in 2002.

England unsuccessfully bid for the 2006 World Cup, losing out to Germany.

Officials at the U.S. Soccer Federation have said they think the election of President Barack Obama will boost its chances with FIFA.

Russia could benefit from never having staged the event before, and the country's strong performance in last year's European championship also shows it is now a soccer force to be reckoned with. The team made the semifinals before losing to Spain.

Australia, Indonesia and Qatar are firm outsiders. The final awarding of the 2018 and 2022 tournaments will be made in December 2010.