"The idea has been around for a while." That's French Sports Minister Marina Ferrari, speaking to Sud Radio this week about a potential Franco-German joint bid for the 2038 World Cup — and suddenly what sounded like a pipe dream has a government voice behind it.
France last hosted in 1998, winning the thing in front of their own crowd. Germany did it in 2006. Both nations have the stadiums, the infrastructure, and the appetite. What they don't necessarily have is a clear path through FIFA's rotation policy — which is where things get complicated.
The rotation problem nobody wants to talk about
Under FIFA's current confederation rotation system, the 2038 World Cup should, in theory, go to CONCACAF or OFC. The logic is straightforward: once a confederation hosts, it sits out for two cycles. Europe hosted in 2030 (Spain, Portugal, Morocco), which means UEFA associations technically shouldn't be eligible for 2038.
That hasn't stopped England, Italy, Germany, and France from all reportedly considering bids anyway. Whether FIFA enforces or bends its own rotation rules is a different question — and given how Saudi Arabia landed 2034 despite serious scrutiny, the idea that FIFA's process is strictly by-the-book feels optimistic at best.
Ferrari framed the potential bid within a broader French sports economy strategy, pointing to France and Germany co-hosting the 2029 Handball World Cup as evidence the partnership model already works. It's a smart political framing — two major European economies presenting a joint event as an economic showcase rather than just a football tournament.
Infantino's 64-team ambition changes the calculus
There's another layer here. FIFA president Gianni Infantino is reportedly keen to expand the World Cup from 48 to 64 teams for future editions. A tournament that size needs more venues, more capacity, more infrastructure — which actually strengthens the case for a joint bid between two countries that already have elite-level stadiums sitting ready.
For anyone pricing long-term football futures or tracking where the sport's commercial gravity shifts next, the 2038 bidding race is worth watching closely. A France-Germany tournament would be a broadcaster's dream and a logistical challenge in equal measure.
FIFA hasn't set a date to open the 2038 bidding process yet. But the lobbying has clearly already started.
