The electric atmosphere in US stadiums is sending shockwaves around the football world as the nation's appetite for the beautiful game continues to soar. With an astonishing surge in ticket sales and hospitality revenue driving growth, the stage is set for the United States to make a stunning early return to World Cup hosting duties – just 12 years after its current co-hosting stint.
A staggering $5 billion windfall from ticketing and hospitality sales in the US has propelled FIFA's revenue projections to an eye-watering $15 billion, eclipsing TV rights income for the first time. This seismic shift in fortunes has not gone unnoticed by football administrators, with discussions among member associations highlighting the US's enviable capacity for major events and a public eager to invest in attending them.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino's recent revelation that the organisation's revenue projections have ballooned from $11 billion to $15 billion will only fuel speculation about an accelerated return to the US. With the English-language TV rights for the 2026 World Cup secured without a competitive bidding process, FIFA is keen to recoup what it perceives as lost income from the US television market – estimated at over $1 billion in advertising revenue.
Industry experts predict that ESPN and NBC will go head-to-head in a high-stakes bidding war for the 2030 tournament, with Netflix already dipping its toes into the fray. The potential for intense competition has sent shivers down the spines of football administrators, who believe that FIFA's recent staging decisions provide the necessary flexibility to bring the World Cup back to North America as soon as 2038.
While no country has hosted the tournament twice in such a short span, FIFA's statutes and staging plans offer an enticing window of opportunity for the US. With Saudi Arabia set to host in 2034, a North American bid for 2038 would be permissible under FIFA’s confederation rotation policy – despite reported reservations from Concacaf regarding opportunities for other members.