President Donald Trump has told FIFA president Gianni Infantino he wants the United States to host the World Cup again, possibly as soon as 2038, and this time without co-hosts Mexico and Canada.
Trump's pitch to Infantino
Trump, 80, made his pitch on Fox News, saying: “We have to do this again and we have to do it while I’m around, you hear that Gianni?” He would be 92 if the plan goes ahead.
The idea emerged after the success of this summer's tournament, which the US co-hosted. FIFA has been actively encouraging a US bid for some time.
FIFA's revenue boom
In a meeting at the Waldorf Astoria in New York at the weekend, Infantino told representatives of FIFA's 211 member associations that revenue projections for the current four-year cycle had increased from £8.2bn to £11.2bn. The vast majority of the growth came from an explosion in World Cup ticketing and hospitality revenue.
A FIFA source said ticketing and hospitality sales had hit £3.7bn, worth more than the World Cup’s TV rights for the first time. A senior figure at one of its hospitality partners said: “FIFA will want to get back here as quickly as possible.” Sources suggest FIFA is already working at pace to clinch a deal.
2038 bid talk
An American bid for the 2038 World Cup has been the talk of hotel lobbies populated by administrators from around the world over the past month, who have seen the US’s limitless appetite for major events.
If Infantino is re-elected for a fourth term as president unopposed, he could ensure Trump gets the right to stage the tournament before the US President leaves office in January 2029.
