The next round of the geopolitical battle between the US and China could well be played out on the soccer field.

Or, more accurately, off it.

While discussing England's future plans to bid for the FIFA World Cup, English FA Chairman Greg Dyke recently stated unequivocally that the 2026 edition of ­soccer's showpiece event would be held in North America.

While his comment is premature - the bidding process for the tournament hasn't even begun - Dyke and his colleagues successfully backed Gianni Infantino in his bid last week to become the new FIFA president. That alone suggests Dyke's views must at least be respected when it comes to predicting the future for soccer's brave new era.

Meanwhile, it is thought that China supported Bahrain's Sheikh Salman, who came up 27 votes short in the FIFA presidential runoff, dealing a blow to Beijing's future power-brokering ability.

The US is the presumed front-runner from North America once the bidding process for the 2026 World Cup gets underway, even though both Mexico and Canada have previously expressed interest. But its strongest competition could come from China, which has long stated its desire to host the tournament.

Current FIFA regulations prevent AFC members, of which China is one, from bidding for the 2026 World Cup, since Qatar - another AFC member - will host the 2022 event.

But the original rule preventing AFC members from bidding for either the 2026 or 2030 tournaments has already been amended, and recent history has shown that China is not easily deterred from its grand sporting ambitions.

Qatar's bid remains under investigation, and the failure of AFC President Sheikh Salman to win the top job at FIFA surely shortens the odds on that tournament being reassigned - perhaps to China - should proof be found that it was won illegally.

Equally, it's not beyond the realm of ­possibility that the bidding process rules will again be changed once the new FIFA leader­ship settles in, which could also open the door to a Chinese bid for 2026.

With Beijing pushing grass-roots reform of the sport, the Chinese Super League flexing its financial muscle following an improved TV deal and Chinese tech giant Alibaba sponsoring the FIFA Club World Cup, all signs point to when - not if - China will host the World Cup.

But should 2026 prove a step too far, China could still achieve another of its World Cup goals, namely qualifying for the tournament.

Infantino has pledged to increase the number of teams from 32 to 40, meaning China's chances of taking part would be that much greater.

The author is a Beijing-based freelance writer. dreyermark@gmail.com