• See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source

Great Britain will enter the race to host the World Cup in 2038 or 2042.

Football's biggest tournament has not been hosted in the United Kingdom since 1966, when England won the coveted prize under Sir Alf Ramsay at Wembley.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has identified the competition as a chance to drive investment, tourism and regeneration beyond London, with the i Paper reporting that he is backing a bid to host the tournament.

England reached the semi-finals of this summer's competition, which was hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The World Cup will be hosted by Spain, Morocco and Portugal in 2030, before heading to Saudi Arabia in 2034. The next available events would be in 2038 and 2042.

Great Britain will enter the race to host the World Cup in 2038 or 2042

Burnham told colleagues at No 10 North on Friday morning that he is looking at how Britain could host the tournament.

more to follow