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Asked what he would stress to FIFA in a bid, Kissinger said enthusiastic crowds were one of the key things the US offered.

"In most World Cups, the preliminary games don't have huge attendance. If Yemen plays Egypt, people don't rush to see it, unless it's in one of those countries," he said.

"(In 1994) we were sold out at practically every game."

Noting the Americans reached the quarter-finals of the 2002 World Cup, the former diplomat said the standard of the game in the United States was getting better.

"I'd like it to become a major sport. But it is tough finding a time as there's always some other sport overlapping with Major League Soccer," he said.

"But it's progressing. We had bad luck because when the World Cup was here, the final was 0-0," he said of the 1994 final won by Brazil in a penalty shootout over Italy after a goalless draw.