South America give Spain-Portugal 2018 votes

ASUNCION, PARAGUAY // The three votes of the South American football federation for the 2018 World Cup will go to the joint bid from Spain and Portugal.

Eduardo Deluca , general secretary of CONMEBOL, made the announcement on Thursday ahead of the December 2 vote.

"The executive committee of the South American confederation instructed its representative to Fifa - Julio Grondona of Argentina, Ricardo Teixeira of Brazil and Nicolas Leoz of Paraguay - to support the two countries which are tied to us through friendship and history," Deluca said.

Spain and Portugal are competing with bids from England, Russia and a combined bid from Belgium and the Netherlands. South America's votes had been expected to go to Spain and Portugal.

Deluca says CONMEBOL's executive committee had not made a decision on the 2022 host, which will also be selected on December 2.

Japan, South Korea, the Untied States, Australia and Qatar are the bidding countries.