[WORLD CUP 2018/2022] One of the USA's chief competitors in its bid for the 2018/2022 World Cups dropped by the wayside on Tuesday when Mexico's soccer federation (FMF) announced it lacked the resources to finance the work needed to host. The move leaves the USA as the lone Concacaf bidder and prevents a regional fight for the support of the influential Concacaf members on FIFA's executive committee.

"The short-term prospects do not permit officials of the Mexican soccer federation, nor local or federal officials, to finance public works at the level this event requires," the federation said Tuesday in a statement on its Web site.

Mexico beat out the USA and Canada in the fight to replace Colombia as the host of the 1986 World Cup. Despite its rich soccer tradition and powerful soccer interests, Mexico can't match the array of stadiums the USA has to offer. Given the current economic recession, the FMF concluded the money simply isn't there to undertake the work to upgrade existing stadiums or build new ones.

Mexico's withdrawal leaves 10 candidates: Australia, England, Indonesia, Japan, Netherlands-Belgium, Russia, Spain-Portugal and the USA for both World Cups, and Qatar and South Korea bid for the 2022 tournament.

FIFA's executive committee will decide the hosts of the two World Cups in December 2010.