Uribe revealed Colombia's intentions to bid for the World Cup during the opening ceremony of the South American Games in the country's capital Medellin.

"This nation aspires to be the future seat of the Pan American [Games], the seat of the Youth Olympics, the seat of the world championship of football," he said.

Colombia, the second largest country in South America behind Brazil with a population of more than 45 million, won the right to host the 1986 World Cup, but then-President Belisario Betancur withdrew citing lack of funds.

The 1986 event was instead hosted by Mexico and the tournament has not been held in Latin America since but will return to Brazil for 2014, two years before Rio de Janeiro becomes the first South American city to host the Olympics.

Uribe has set Colombia's sights slightly lower by first aiming a bid for the Youth Olympics.

The event, an initiative of International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge, is due to be held for the first time in Singapore in August and will then be held in Nanjing in China in 2014.

Colombia has competed in every Summer Olympics since making its debut at Los Angeles in 1932 - with the exception of Helsinki in 1952 - and made its first appearance at the Winter Games in Vancouver last month.

It hosted the Pan American Games in 1971 at Cali, when 2,935 athletes from 32 countries participated in 17 sports.

The Games were notable for Jamaican sprinter Don Quarrie winning the 100 and 200 metres double and for legendary American distance runner Steve Prefontaine claiming victory in the 5,000m, the only major international honour of a career tragically cut short when he was killed in a car crash in 1975.

The South American Games, which last until March 30, are being attended by 3,000 athletes from 15 countries competing in 15 sports.

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