Blatter was confident FIFA would agree to Australia linking up with Asia after the World Cup 2006 at the FIFA Congress in Marrakech, Morocco, on September 12.

He says current FIFA laws cannot stop the move, foreshadowed in March when the Asian Football Confederation extended an invitation to Australia to quit the weak Oceania confederation and throw its lot in with the stronger, more lucrative competitions the AFC will provide.

"There cannot be an opposition because we have no provision in our statutes that would forbid such a change if everybody's happy," Blatter said.

"And in this case, the remaining 10 associations in Oceania confederation are happy that Australia will leave.

"Asia has said 'please Australia, come and play with us'.

"If everybody is happy I cannot see that the Congress would make an extraordinary decision by saying stop it."

Monday's news will come as a relief to those Australians still mindful of FIFA's backflip on a direct World Cup finals path to Oceania promised in late 2002 and pulled because of South American pressure and politics six months later.

It consigned Australia to a torturous road to the 2006 finals against the fifth-placed South American team.

The FIFA endorsement and an AFC meeting which is certain to ratify the move are the last remaining protocol before Australia can link up with Asia.

But it appears Australia has managed to bolt Oceania before FIFA shuts the gate, with Blatter warning that similar moves would be made far more difficult in the future.

"In the same Congress we have to put into the same statutes an article that will hinder such passage," said Blatter, speaking ahead of the Confederations Cup tournament starting on Wednesday in Germany.

"Because otherwise tomorrow the United States may say we have a big market - we would prefer to play in Europe.

"Or Mexico may say we want to play with South America. In the end we would have congestions of the big (nations) and the smaller (in separate confederations)."

Australia has qualified for the Confederations Cup as the champion of Oceania, but would have to qualify for future tournaments, including the 2010 World Cup finals, through Asia.

Its teams have dominated Oceania, with club side Sydney FC the latest to cut a swathe through Oceania's tinpots with a comfortable victory in the FIFA Club World Championship qualifying tournament in Tahiti last week.

Australia plays host nation Germany in its opening Confederations Cup match on Wednesday in Frankfurt.

Source: Australian Financial Review