US eyes 2038 World Cup as FIFA mulls 64-team expansion
The White House has signalled US interest in hosting the 2038 tournament, a pitch driven by the prospect of a 64-team format that would heavily favour America's existing infrastructure over the massive construction costs borne by other host nations.
Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House's World Cup task force, said the United States could consider bidding for the 2038 men's World Cup. He framed the potential bid around FIFA's deliberations over expanding the tournament to 64 teams as early as 2030. "When you think that this World Cup may at some point expand out to 64 teams, I think the United States can handle it," Giuliani said.
The economic argument is central to the early pitch. The US is currently co-hosting the 2026 tournament with Canada and Mexico, an event already expanded from 32 to 48 teams, with the US staging 78 of the 104 matches. Giuliani argued that America's existing stadiums drastically reduce the financial burden compared to other host nations. "We have the stadiums built, so for the US, compared to other host nations, where it costs tens and tens of billions of dollars, you know, it cost us a couple of billion," he said.
The 2038 edition is the next World Cup that will actually go through a competitive bidding process. FIFA has already locked in its hosts for the next two cycles. The 2030 tournament will be co-hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco, with Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay staging the opening three matches to mark the competition's 100th anniversary. Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 edition.
A future American bid, however, would face geopolitical friction absent from recent European or Gulf hosting campaigns. More than 120 organisations issued a travel advisory before the 2026 tournament, urging visitors to "exercise caution" due to what they described as the "Trump administration's violent and abusive immigration crackdown". Against the backdrop of the war between the US and Iran in the Middle East, Iranian backroom staff were denied entry visas, forcing the team to move its base from Arizona to Tijuana in Mexico.
There has also been sharp criticism of increased travel costs for fans during the current tournament. Despite these issues, Giuliani said he has discussed America's future hosting prospects with President Donald Trump. "There's no better country that's positioned to host a World Cup than the United States, and I think we're seeing that on social media," Giuliani said. "Let me make sure we get through this World Cup on 19 July before we make our pitch for 2038 or other ones."
