Birmingham's bid to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games has been officially backed by the UK government.
The cost of staging the event is expected to be at least £750m, which would make it the most expensive sports event in Britain since the London Olympics in 2012.
Birmingham City Council will have to fund a quarter of that but the rest of the budget will be provided by central government.
In a statement, Culture Secretary Karen Bradley said: "The Commonwealth Games in Birmingham would be brilliant. It would showcase the best of Britain to the world and make the entire country proud.
"Not only would it help grow the economy in the West Midlands and beyond, it would also leave a strong sports legacy, by upgrading facilities to benefit both elite athletes and the local community.
"Birmingham's bid has the backing of the government and our focus now is to work alongside Birmingham's excellent bid team and Commonwealth Games England to put forward the strongest possible bid to the Commonwealth Games Federation, while ensuring that we get maximum value for money for the taxpayer."
Birmingham, who beat Liverpool earlier in September as Britain's candidate city, could still face competition from rival bidders in Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur, Victoria in Canada, and a potential Australian entry.
