England, who open their World Cup campaign against Japan in Shanghai on Tuesday, are one of five European nations taking part in the World Cup finals in China and the three who finish with the highest rankings in the tournament will qualify automatically for the Beijing Olympics.

 

However, the world governing body Fifa have made an exception of England, ruling that however far they progress at the World Cup they will remain ineligible for the Games because England does not have its own separate National Olympic Committee.

 

The British Olympic Association (BOA) also have jurisdiction over Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland but the Scottish and Welsh football associations have said that they would not contribute any players to a unified British team for fear of jeopardising their independent status.

 

The BOA had hoped to be allowed to enter a British team made up of English and Northern Irish players but, despite intensive lobbying of Fifa and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in recent weeks, football's world governing body have insisted the ban should remain.

 

Hope Powell, England's long-serving coach, said: "The Olympics is the biggest tournament in the world so in that respect it's very disappointing.

 

"Playing in a tournament like that would have given the players so much experience and exposure."