US mulls 2038 World Cup bid as FIFA targets 64-team expansion

Published: 2026-06-26 08:55:13 |

The US, already hosting the 2026 World Cup, is considering a bid for the 2038 World Cup. Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House Task Force on the World Cup, said on June 26 the country could pursue the 2038 World Cup “if” FIFA moves ahead with plans to expand the tournament to 64 teams. Giuliani stressed it is too early for a formal commitment, but his comments indicate the US sees itself as a repeat host as FIFA grows the competition. The 2026 World Cup already expanded from 32 to 48 teams across the US, Canada and Mexico, with over $1 billion in federal funding allocated for construction and security. FIFA’s expansion ambitions are also linked to broader tournament planning: CONMEBOL proposed a one-time 64-team format for 2030 to mark the centennial, with discussions starting in 2025. Giuliani’s remarks suggest the US believes its infrastructure could support a 64-team tournament on a more permanent basis. Separately, FIFA’s Web3 strategy is ongoing. FIFA built blockchain infrastructure on Avalanche to power FIFA Collect, a platform for digital collectibles, with goals that include NFTs and wider sports token activity. However, no specific crypto token or protocol was tied directly to the 2038 World Cup bid comments. Overall, this news is more about FIFA’s future tournament scale than any immediate, tradeable crypto catalyst tied to the 2038 World Cup.

Neutral

The article links the 2038 World Cup bid to FIFA’s broader plan to expand the tournament to 64 teams, but it does not mention any specific token, protocol, or direct funding flow into crypto. FIFA’s existing Avalanche-based collectibles/NFT infrastructure suggests ongoing Web3 engagement, which can be sentiment-supportive during World Cup cycles. However, without a concrete, tradeable crypto trigger tied to the 2038 World Cup, the market impact is likely limited. In the short term, traders may see mild, narrative-driven interest in sports-NFT or fan-token themes around major tournament announcements. In the long term, if FIFA’s expansion increases engagement and collectible activity, it could indirectly benefit ecosystems aligned with NFTs and sports tokens. But this is still a planning signal, not an execution milestone.