Brighton and Hove could be chosen as a base city to host World Cup matches if England's bid to host the tournament in 2018 is successful.
As the tourism capital of the South East, experts say the city would be in a strong position to host matches if the stadium infrastructure was in place.
The news has been met with eager anticipation by civic leaders and is seen as further evidence of the city's urgent need for a modern stadium.
Council leader Simon Burgess said: "This would be a simply fantastic opportunity.
"The thought of having the World Cup on our doorstep in Brighton is so exciting and is just the sort of thing that the whole city would embrace.
"If anything, this reinforces the need for a quick decision from the Government on Falmer.
"We cannot allow ourselves to drag behind the rest of the country when it comes to playing host to huge events like this."
Throughout recent history, host countries have used the World Cup not just as a football tournament, but as an opportunity to showcase towns and cities.
Montpellier at France 1998, Seogwipo in South Korea and Japan 2002, and Leipzig in Germany last summer were all World Cup venues that had no top-flight club or adequate stadium before Fifa sanctioned them as hosts.
Horst Schmidt, vice-chairman of the 2006 World Cup organising committee, said: "The status of a club is not important.
"It is to do with the tourist and cultural package of a venue."
It is thought England has a strong chance of winning the bid after successive tournaments in developing countries - South Africa in 2010 and Brazil in 2014.
Five major footballing cities will provide at least six stadiums - London, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Newcastle.
Aside from those, it is believed the FA will be keen to choose venues across the country, including at least one south of London.
With its coastal location, Brighton would provide dramatic scenery when VIPs arrive by helicopter - one of Fifa's prerequisites for a venue is a helipad nearby.
Likely to compete with Southampton and Portsmouth as the south coast venue, the city also offers unrivalled tourism opportunities, thriving nightlife and countless hotels.
Transport links are also solid with Gatwick nearby and ferries into Newhaven.
The potential boost to the city's economy would be phenomenal.
Simon Fanshawe, chairman of the Brighton and Hove Economic Partnership, said: "This is a hugely exciting prospect.
"Brighton survives on what it can offer both its own residents and tourists.
"Thousands of people would come, not just for the football but also to see the city.
"If managed properly, the legacy of hosting the World Cup in Brighton would be unbelievable."
Fifa will announce their decision six years before the first ball is kicked.
The Government is currently reconsidering Brighton and Hove Albion's application for a 22,000 seat stadium at Falmer, and fans hope for a final decision in the summer.
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So erm, how does this work as the current criteria is a stadia must be at least 40,000 capacity to host a World Cup match, would Falmer be able to become a 40,000 Stadia or would Brighton & Hove get a NEW stadia for us to move into after the 2018 World Cup?...
As the tourism capital of the South East, experts say the city would be in a strong position to host matches if the stadium infrastructure was in place.
The news has been met with eager anticipation by civic leaders and is seen as further evidence of the city's urgent need for a modern stadium.
Council leader Simon Burgess said: "This would be a simply fantastic opportunity.
"The thought of having the World Cup on our doorstep in Brighton is so exciting and is just the sort of thing that the whole city would embrace.
"If anything, this reinforces the need for a quick decision from the Government on Falmer.
"We cannot allow ourselves to drag behind the rest of the country when it comes to playing host to huge events like this."
Throughout recent history, host countries have used the World Cup not just as a football tournament, but as an opportunity to showcase towns and cities.
Montpellier at France 1998, Seogwipo in South Korea and Japan 2002, and Leipzig in Germany last summer were all World Cup venues that had no top-flight club or adequate stadium before Fifa sanctioned them as hosts.
Horst Schmidt, vice-chairman of the 2006 World Cup organising committee, said: "The status of a club is not important.
"It is to do with the tourist and cultural package of a venue."
It is thought England has a strong chance of winning the bid after successive tournaments in developing countries - South Africa in 2010 and Brazil in 2014.
Five major footballing cities will provide at least six stadiums - London, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Newcastle.
Aside from those, it is believed the FA will be keen to choose venues across the country, including at least one south of London.
With its coastal location, Brighton would provide dramatic scenery when VIPs arrive by helicopter - one of Fifa's prerequisites for a venue is a helipad nearby.
Likely to compete with Southampton and Portsmouth as the south coast venue, the city also offers unrivalled tourism opportunities, thriving nightlife and countless hotels.
Transport links are also solid with Gatwick nearby and ferries into Newhaven.
The potential boost to the city's economy would be phenomenal.
Simon Fanshawe, chairman of the Brighton and Hove Economic Partnership, said: "This is a hugely exciting prospect.
"Brighton survives on what it can offer both its own residents and tourists.
"Thousands of people would come, not just for the football but also to see the city.
"If managed properly, the legacy of hosting the World Cup in Brighton would be unbelievable."
Fifa will announce their decision six years before the first ball is kicked.
The Government is currently reconsidering Brighton and Hove Albion's application for a 22,000 seat stadium at Falmer, and fans hope for a final decision in the summer.
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So erm, how does this work as the current criteria is a stadia must be at least 40,000 capacity to host a World Cup match, would Falmer be able to become a 40,000 Stadia or would Brighton & Hove get a NEW stadia for us to move into after the 2018 World Cup?...
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