The two countries submitted "expression of interest" forms to world football's governing body by the deadline of December 18, FIFA said in a statement.

Only South American countries were invited to bid for the 2014 World Cup.

The expression of interest is the first stage of the bidding to host world football's flagship event.

Brazilian football federation (CFB) submitted its offer on December 13, while the Colombian federation presented its document at the last moment on Monday.

FIFA said it would inform the two federations about the next steps that they have to take.

The governing body had been prepared to hold an accelerated process if only one candidate was ready to host the finals in 2014, amid strong signs of interest in Brazil at the time.

The five-times World Cup winners have hosted the event once before in 1950, when its team lost 2-1 to Uruguay in the final.

Four previous World Cups have been held in South America: Uruguay 1930, Brazil 1950, Chile 1962 and Argentina 1978.

Earlier this month, FIFA president Sepp Blatter told journalists that high standards had been set in recent World Cups.

He warned that the governing body would be ready to look "further north" if no decent candidates came through from the South American confederation.

FIFA recently voiced concern about the lack of construction work on key stadiums in South Africa less than four years before the 2010 World Cup finals are due to take place there.