The United States isn't waiting for the confetti to settle. With the 2026 World Cup still running — 6.5 million tickets sold, an $11 billion revenue target set to be exceeded — US officials have already opened talks with FIFA about hosting the 2029 Club World Cup.
No formal bid yet. The selection process hasn't been confirmed, and it's unclear whether the White House or Trump's World Cup taskforce is directly involved. But the intent is obvious. The US wants to stay in the FIFA ecosystem, and FIFA has every commercial reason to keep them there.
The money argument is almost unanswerable
Andrew Giuliani, chair of Trump's World Cup taskforce, put it bluntly this week: "Soccer is no longer a future American story. It's happening right now." Overblown? Maybe slightly. But the numbers back the general point. This World Cup is on track to be the most lucrative in history, and FIFA's aggressive dynamic pricing model — trialled at the 2025 Club World Cup, which generated $411 million from tickets and hospitality alone — clearly works better when stadiums are full and demand is high. North American tournaments deliver both.
FIFA also has political incentive. The Folaron Balogun saga this week — where Trump personally called Gianni Infantino to review a red card, and FIFA's disciplinary committee quietly overturned the ban — tells you everything about how close that relationship currently is. Hosting decisions don't happen in a vacuum.
Spain, Morocco and Brazil are also in the picture
It had been widely assumed the 2029 Club World Cup would go to Spain and Morocco, capitalising on their roles as 2030 World Cup co-hosts. Brazil's federation has publicly expressed interest. Qatar has reportedly made enquiries. So this isn't a done deal for the US — but their pitch is backed by infrastructure that's already proven, a government that's actively cultivating FIFA ties, and a market that just demonstrated it can absorb a tournament of this scale without blinking.
FIFA is also pushing to expand the Club World Cup to 48 teams for 2029. That format needs big stadiums, deep pockets and logistical experience. The US has all three.
A decision is expected next year, likely after FIFA's presidential election in April. Trump will still be in office when the call is made — just months before he leaves in January 2029. The timing is not coincidental.
