United States Eyes 2038 World Cup Bid As Officials Back Potential 64-Team Tournament

The United States is considering a bid to host the 2038 FIFA World Cup, with senior officials expressing confidence that the country has the infrastructure and experience to stage an even larger global tournament if FIFA expands the competition to 64 teams.

Andrew Giuliani, Executive Director of the White House’s FIFA World Cup Task Force, said the United States would be well placed to host the tournament after co-hosting the 2026 edition alongside Canada and Mexico.

Speaking with BBC Sports at the ongoing World Cup, Giuliani suggested the country’s extensive sporting infrastructure could comfortably accommodate a larger competition should FIFA proceed with plans to increase the number of participating nations from the current 48.

“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.

However, he stressed that the immediate priority remained delivering a successful conclusion to the 2026 tournament before any formal discussions about a future bid begin.

“Let me make sure we get through this World Cup on 19 July before we make our pitch for 2038 or other ones,” he added.

The United States is currently staging its second men’s World Cup after first hosting the tournament in 1994. This year’s expanded competition, featuring 48 teams for the first time, is being jointly hosted with Canada and Mexico, with the United States staging the majority of the matches, including the final.

FIFA has already awarded the hosting rights for the 2030 and 2034 World Cups, making the 2038 tournament the next edition available for bidding. While no formal bid has yet been announced, Giuliani’s comments are the clearest indication that the United States could seek to bring football’s biggest event back to the country for a third time.

The proposal comes amid growing debate over FIFA’s competition format. After expanding the World Cup from 32 to 48 teams in 2026, football’s governing body is considering a further increase to 64 teams as early as the 2030 tournament, a move that would place greater demands on host nations in terms of stadiums, transport, accommodation and logistics.

Supporters of a potential American bid argue that the country’s vast network of world-class stadiums, transport links and accommodation would make it one of the few nations capable of staging a 64-team World Cup without relying heavily on neighbouring countries.

The White House established its FIFA World Cup Task Force in 2025 to coordinate federal preparations for the 2026 tournament, with responsibilities including security, transport, tourism and interagency planning.

With the 2026 World Cup still in progress, any decision on a 2038 bid remains some way off. Nevertheless, Giuliani’s remarks suggest the United States is already looking beyond this summer’s tournament and positioning itself to host football’s showpiece event once again.