England's World Cup bid team hopes that Prince William's engagement will provide a ''halo effect'' for the campaign when he lobbies for the right to host the event.
On Tuesday, Prince William announced his engagement to Kate Middleton.
William is expected to be in Zurich in the days before the Dec. 2 vote, trying to persuade FIFA's executive committee to award England the World Cup in 2018.
''In the build up to the final vote, he will definitely have a lobbying role to play,'' England 2018 chief executive Andy Anson said. ''The prince was down in Rome meeting members of UEFA and families at the Champions League final with 18 months to go. He has been down in South Africa with his brother (for the World Cup). He did a number of things for us there. He has been involved.''
Anson said that William, England midfielder David Beckham and Prime Minister David Cameron will be a ''potent campaigning force'' in Zurich.
As for the prince's interest in the game and the news of his engagement, Anson said: ''He's got charisma. He loves his football. This is fantastic news and if it has a halo effect for our bid, then all well and good.''
