FIFA has not opened a formal bidding process for the 2038 World Cup, and no host has been chosen, but talk around the next men’s tournament is already starting to build. Andrew Giuliani has begun speaking publicly about the United States as a possible bidder, even though the field has not been set.
The search around the 2038 World Cup is being driven by the next two hosts already locked in place. FIFA has awarded the 2030 men’s World Cup to Morocco, Portugal and Spain, and it is taking the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia, leaving the following cycle as the next opening for other regions.
Under the current rotation rules, the regions that host in 2030 and 2034 are generally expected to sit out the next cycle, which is why North America and Oceania are described as the most likely contenders for 2038. The structure narrows the field before bidding even begins, and it explains why the United States is already being mentioned as a possible player.
Giuliani has argued that no country is better positioned to stage an expanded tournament after hosting the World Cup this year and welcoming the Summer Olympics in 2028. That pitch is moving faster than the process itself. FIFA has not opened the formal 2038 bidding window, and the organization has not selected a host country.
The gap matters because the conversation is getting ahead of the rules. The United States helped drive World Cup attendance across North America to a record, with more than 4.6 million fans turning out and FIFA Fan Fest activities drawing thousands more, but that momentum does not amount to a bid. It also remains unknown whether Philadelphia or New York City would be named World Cup cities again if the United States eventually enters and wins the tournament.
That leaves the next step where it belongs: with FIFA, not with the speculation around it. Until the federation opens the 2038 process, the most concrete thing on the board is the schedule already set for 2030 and 2034, and the rest is a race to be ready when bidding finally starts.
