The English Football Association has failed to secure funding to build an ambitious national stadium at Wembley, north London, the British government said today.
"The FA have been unable to meet the funding gap from city backers as they would have wished," a spokesman for Prime Minister Tony Blair said.
"According to FA figures the funding gap is Stg£100 million to £150 million at the moment. They don't feel, given the length of time they have spent seeking backing, that they can proceed with the project at this stage," the spokesman said.
He said the government still hoped a national stadium could be built and would hold talks to try to find a way forward.
The cost of the new Wembley stadium has soared from an estimated £240 million to £660 million and the development had fallen two years behind schedule.