As frequently happens, Donald Trump has been the one to articulate the unspoken truth. During an interview aired ahead of the World Cup final, the US president told a national news network, “We have to do this again and we have to do it while I’m around, you hear that Gianni?”
Over the last month, a potential American push for the 2038 World Cup has dominated discussions in the hotel corridors frequented by global football officials, who have observed this nation’s apparently boundless enthusiasm for large-scale sporting spectacles and its readiness to spend whatever is required to be part of them.
Fifa has been subtly but vigorously promoting a bid from the United States for some time, and the rationale became more apparent during a Saturday gathering at the Waldorf Astoria on New York’s Park Avenue.
Gianni Infantino, the head of Fifa, informed delegates from the organization’s 211 member nations that its projected income for the current four-year period has climbed from $11bn (£8.2bn) to $15bn, with the surge predominantly driven by a dramatic rise in ticketing and premium hospitality earnings.
A source within Fifa revealed that the specific demand in the US has been so intense that hospitality and ticket revenues have exceeded $5bn, meaning that for the first time, this commercial segment is now more lucrative than the broadcasting fees for the World Cup.
“Fifa will be eager to return here at the earliest opportunity,” a high-ranking executive from one of its hospitality collaborators stated.
While the sale of seats has surpassed projections, aided by dynamic pricing and secondary market resale systems that are deeply ingrained in the American consumer landscape, Fifa failed to capitalize on one vital revenue stream, further fueling its desire for a swift return.
In a remarkable arrangement, Fox Sports secured the English-language broadcasting rights in the US without a competitive tender. This was a defensive maneuver by the global governing body to avert litigation when the Qatar 2022 tournament was rescheduled to the winter, conflicting directly with the established domestic sports calendar, most notably the NFL and NBA.
This lack of competitive pressure resulted in Fox obtaining a favorable deal, paying $485m for the 2026 rights—the identical amount as for Qatar—even though the competition now includes an additional 40 matches and will be staged on home territory. To put this in perspective, the NFL’s annual domestic television contract generates $11bn, while the NBA’s brings in roughly $7bn.
Fox has consequently reaped significant benefits this summer, buoyed by high viewership. Industry analysts estimate it will generate over $1bn from television commercials, with both the volume and price of advertising inflated by the introduction of scheduled cooling-off periods in matches.
Fifa is now resolute in its aim to recover what many perceive as lost earnings from the US market during future broadcasting rights negotiations.
After observing with some vexation as Fox profited handsomely, major sports broadcasters are anticipated to compete for the 2030 competition, and preliminary dialogues have been initiated with streaming platforms regarding their potential participation in the bidding process.
The streaming giant has already demonstrated a mounting interest in the sport by acquiring the US rights for the Women’s World Cup in 2027 and 2031, the latter of which will be hosted in America, and securing another men’s competition seven years on would ignite a further surge in interest.
No single nation has hosted the men’s World Cup on two occasions within a 12-year span, yet Fifa’s internal regulations and recent hosting decisions offer the leeway for such an occurrence.
By distributing the 2030 World Cup across three continents and six nations—Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay—before Saudi Arabia assumes hosting duties in 2034, a North American proposal for 2038 is allowable under Fifa’s confederation rotation principles, alongside a potential candidacy from Oceania.
Soccer Australia initially expressed a desire to bid for 2034, but after being granted less than a month to formally submit its intentions by Fifa, it stepped back, leaving Saudi Arabia as the sole unopposed candidate, which was Infantino’s favored approach.
Adding a layer of complexity, the North American governing body, Concacaf, is thought to hold reservations about another US-led bid, preferring to extend opportunities to its other national members.
Costa Rica, Jamaica, and Mexico have now been included in an effort to secure the 2031 Women’s World Cup, and another collaborative venture could materialize, though it is hardly surprising that Trump’s preference would be for the US to act as the exclusive host. “Based on the numbers we will be requesting it again immediately,” he mentioned to the news network.
Fifa’s schedule for commencing the 2038 selection procedure is not yet public, but precedent indicates it could act swiftly to secure its desired result. The abrupt launch of the 2034 bidding round in October 2024 caught most confederations off guard, with Infantino declaring Saudi Arabia as the host a mere 25 days later, a move formally approved by all Fifa members during an unusual virtual extraordinary general meeting two months after that.
Infantino is set to be reappointed for a fourth full tenure at the upcoming Fifa Congress in Morocco, almost certainly without opposition, after which attention will shift fully toward the 2038 race.
Unless an extraordinary alteration is made to the US constitution to allow for a further term, Trump is scheduled to depart from office in January 2029, a date that could quickly become the cutoff point for Fifa’s ambitions.
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