France has opened the door to a joint bid with Germany to host the 2038 World Cup. Speaking on a morning programme on Sud Radio on 23 July, French sports minister Marina Ferrari welcomed the idea first reported by Le Parisien and stressed that staging major sporting tournaments sits at the heart of her country’s strategy for the coming years. Nothing has been signed and nothing has been filed with FIFA: at this stage it is a political signal, not a bid. But it is the clearest indication yet that Europe’s two biggest football economies are thinking about 2038 together, and that changes the calculation for England.
What the French sports minister actually said
Ferrari welcomed an idea rather than announcing a bid. Asked on Sud Radio about the Le Parisien report describing a possible France-Germany project for 2038, the sports minister said hosting major international competitions is central to France’s sporting strategy for the years ahead. That is standard language for the earliest stage of a hosting conversation.
The distinction matters. A World Cup bid requires government guarantees on tax, security, immigration, transport and accommodation, plus a portfolio of FIFA-approved stadiums. None of that paperwork exists publicly today. What does exist is confirmation that Paris is not ruling the project out and would likely lead it if Berlin moves first.
Why 2038 is the first realistic slot for Europe
2038 is the first edition genuinely available to a European bid. The 2026 World Cup is being staged in the United States, Canada and Mexico with 48 teams and 104 matches. The 2030 tournament was awarded to Spain, Portugal and Morocco, with three centenary opening fixtures in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay. The 2034 edition goes to Saudi Arabia. FIFA’s continental rotation leaves no earlier opening.
That is why a conversation about a tournament twelve years away is starting now. Major bids are built through years of lobbying inside UEFA and the FIFA Council long before any vote is scheduled, so positioning early is effectively part of the bid itself.
Where England stands: 60 years and counting
England has not hosted a World Cup since 1966 and has been widely tipped to bid again. The United Kingdom and Ireland are already staging Euro 2028 across venues including Wembley, the Etihad, St James’ Park, Villa Park, the Principality Stadium, Hampden Park, the Aviva Stadium and Casement Park, and that project has repeatedly been framed as a stepping stone toward a future World Cup rather than an end point.
England’s last attempt is the cautionary tale. The 2018 bid, fronted by David Beckham, Prince William and then prime minister David Cameron, collected just two votes in the first round of FIFA’s ballot in December 2010 before Russia was awarded the tournament. Any 2038 campaign would be built on very different governance foundations, but the memory shapes how cautiously the FA now talks publicly about hosting.
The Premier League factor: stadiums already built
England’s strongest asset is a stadium portfolio no other country can match, and almost all of it is privately funded by Premier League clubs. Wembley holds 90,000, Old Trafford around 74,000 with a replacement stadium project under discussion, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium 62,000, the Emirates 60,000, the Etihad expanding past 60,000, Anfield 61,000 after the Anfield Road redevelopment and the London Stadium 62,500. That is seven venues above 60,000 within one country.
A France-Germany bid would counter with a similar strength. France rebuilt or renovated most of its grounds for Euro 2016, from the Groupama Stadium in Lyon to the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille, while Germany’s Euro 2024 venues, including the Allianz Arena, Signal Iduna Park and the Olympiastadion in Berlin, were praised for their rail connectivity. Neither bloc would need to build from scratch, which is now a decisive argument with public money under scrutiny.
What happens next
Three things are worth watching. First, whether the German FA and the German government respond publicly, without which the project stays one-sided. Second, whether the French Football Federation formally takes ownership of the file. Third, whether UEFA signals a preference, since European bids historically perform far better when the continent presents a single candidate rather than competing ones.
FIFA typically opens hosting processes six to eight years before a tournament, which places the real contest around the early 2030s. Until then, the 48-team format remains the structural driver: with 104 matches and roughly 16 large stadiums required, co-hosting has moved from an exception to the default, and the France-Germany pairing would arrive with almost every venue already standing.
FAQ
Have France and Germany officially bid for the 2038 World Cup?
No. French sports minister Marina Ferrari only welcomed the idea in a Sud Radio interview on 23 July 2026, following a Le Parisien report. No bid has been submitted to FIFA and neither federation has taken a formal decision.
Why can Europe only host again in 2038?
Because the next three tournaments are already allocated: 2026 to the United States, Canada and Mexico, 2030 to Spain, Portugal and Morocco with three matches in South America, and 2034 to Saudi Arabia. Under FIFA’s continental rotation, 2038 is the first available slot for a European host.
Will England bid for the 2038 World Cup?
Nothing has been confirmed. The UK and Ireland are hosting Euro 2028, and a future World Cup bid has often been discussed as a natural follow-up, but the FA has not submitted a formal 2038 candidacy.
When was the last time England hosted the World Cup?
In 1966, when England beat West Germany 4-2 after extra time in the final at Wembley. It remains the only World Cup staged in England and England’s only title.
How many teams will play at the 2038 World Cup?
The 48-team format introduced in 2026, with 104 matches, is expected to continue. That scale is the main reason joint bids between two or more countries have become the norm rather than the exception.
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