Brazil has been named as the host of the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

The decision was no surprise as Brazil was the only remaining candidate, following the withdrawal of the only other bidding nation, Columbia, in April 2007.

The choice to award the competition to Brazil, the only country to have won the World Cup five times, was welcomed by a number of FIFA and UEFA members.

Michel Platini, president of UEFA, said: “Brazil is the country that has given most to football, it’s the biggest football nation in the world which has won the most World Cups.

“Having the World Cup in Brazil is like going on a pilgrimage to Mecca – or Jerusalem.”

The news was followed by a decision by the FIFA Executive Committee to bring an end to the rotating bidding system, which ensured that the competition was held in a different continent every four years.