Xi will welcome Infantino to the Great Hall of the People here in the Chinese capital.

The exact agenda for the meeting has not been revealed but it comes as China continues its attempt to establish itself on the world football stage.

"We hope we can strengthen our cooperation on football with international organisations, including FIFA, and also with other countries," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang.

"As to whether China will host the World Cup, this is a dream shared by many Chinese. 

"We also hope we can see that happen as soon as possible."

Three companies from the nation - smartphone provider Vivo, electronics maker Hisense and Dalian Wanda Group - have all signed sponsorship deals with FIFA in the past year.

Vivo and Hisense are both sponsors of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, while media conglomerate Dalian became a top-level FIFA partner in March 2016.

The agreements have fuelled reports the country is mulling a bid for FIFA's flagship event in the future.

China is not officially allowed to enter the race for the 2030 tournament at this stage as FIFA's current rules prevent another Asian country from bidding until 2034 at the earliest as Qatar is staging the competition in 2022.

FIFA's ruling Council discussed the idea of altering their statutes regarding its World Cup rotation policy to go against the ruling "if circumstances so require" during its meeting prior to the Congress in Bahrain last month.

It was not put forward to the full Congress as FIFA instead decided to install a working group to look into any possible statute changes.

Should China be eligible to bid for the 2030 World Cup, they are likely to face competition from a joint Argentina-Uruguay effort.

The two South American nations are keen on staging the tournament to mark the 100-year anniversary of the first World Cup in 1930.

UEFA could also pursue a bid as President Aleksander Čeferin said earlier this month that they would "fight" for a European host in 2030.

Čeferin has stated that the "regulations are clear - you cannot bid for the next two World Cups" regarding an Asian bid.

"I think it’s Europe’s turn in 2030, clearly," the Slovenian added.

Last month, Liu Xiaoming, the ambassador of the People's Republic of China to the United Kingdom, claimed hosting the FIFA World Cup is one of the country's dreams.

Chinese Football Association vice-president Zhang Jian, a member of the FIFA Council, claimed last year that he would support any effort from the nation to stage the 2030 event.

Xi has also spoken of his wish for China to lift the World Cup trophy one day.

China, currently ranked 82nd in the world, are unlikely to secure a spot at next year's tournament in Russia as they are fifth in Group A of the Asian Football Confederation qualification.

Only the top two in each group qualify directly, with the two third-place teams entering the fourth round.