Actor Pitt joins U.S. bid to host World Cup

Actor Brad Pitt poses backstage after presenting director Quentin Tarantino with a plaque for being a nominee in the 2009 DGA Feature Film Award category for his work on the film "Inglourious Basterds" at the 62nd Annual Directors Guild of America Awards in Los Angeles, January 30, 2010.??[Photo/Agencies]

NEW YORK - Actor Brad Pitt has added his name to the US bid committee seeking to host the World Cup in 2018 or 2022, US Soccer said on Wednesday.

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Pitt joins former US President Bill Clinton, former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, director Spike Lee and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on the committee.

"Soccer is a truly global sport and the opportunity to join the effort to have the US host the world's greatest sporting event again is a great honor," Pitt said in a statement.

The United States, Australia, England, Russia and a pair of joint-bids from Belgium/Netherlands and Spain/Portugal are bidding to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cups with Qatar, Japan, and South Korea in the running to host the latter tournament.

The hosts of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup will be decided at a meeting of FIFA's executive committee in December.

The United States hosted the tournament in 1994.