FIFA and FIFPro, the international players' umbrella organisation, have agreed to new rules regarding player rights.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter, who also alluded to Brazil's hopes of hosting the World Cup and his wish to see a balanced mix of home-grown and bought-in foreign players, signed the deal at Barcelona's Nou Camp stadium along with his FIFPro counterpart Philippe Piat.

The agreement will give players a spokesperson affliliated to FIFA whilst also improving the conditions of their playing contracts.

It also puts in place a stipulation that changes to the rules regarding transfers cannot be made without agreement from both parties, giving players more of a say in FIFA rulings.

Blatter also spoke about Brazil's hopes of staging the 2014 World Cup -- FIFA is due to make a decision in 2008.

The FIFA head said he had told the Brazilian Federation to prepare a campaign assuming that there would be "three or four more" candidates.

Brazil, five-times winners of the competition, have staged the event just once, in 1950.

Brazil has the support of the South American confederation CONMEBOL to bring the tournament back to South America for the first time since Argentina were hosts in 1978.