FIFA have ruled out any joint hosting of the 2006 World Cup finals by England and Germany. The federation yesterday made it clear that the 2002 finals in South Korea and Japan was a special case not to be repeated.

Speculation mounted after Germany's bid chief Franz Beckenbauer said his country would not oppose sharing the 2006 finals with England. The two nations have launched campaigns that threaten to turn into a costly and damaging rivalry before a decision is made in 2000.

"Both England and German have good claims and there is no point in them making a bid together," said FIFA spokesman Keith Cooper, speaking at the Football Expo '98 fair, the inaugural international soccer industry exhibition, in Singapore this week.

Meanwhile, television will have a big say in kick-off times during the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea, but games would not start at midnight to satisfy European audiences, Asian soccer officials said yesterday. "You must not forget, football is played by players, human beings. We have to respect their lifestyle. One of the prime considerations is the health of the players," said Peter Velappan, general secretary of the Asian Football Confederation. It is absurd to even think of such things (midnight kick-offs)."

Velappan said a decision on kick-off times would be made after this year's World Cup in France, having considered the interests all parties - players, television, sponsors, the hosts and FIFA, the game's world governing body.