How the 2026 FIFA World Cup was like no other as it inspired and incensed
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In the end, currency is nearly always the most powerful factor in sports, and it is here, too -- for good and evil. The incredible amount of dollars generated by this tournament will help FIFA spread soccer's gospel to parts of the world that need it. It will also almost certainly ensure that the commercialization of the game, whether through those commercials or halftime shows or an overstuffed, 64-team field, continues unabated.
In the end, all we know for sure is this: However you feel about this particular party and all that went into it -- whether you found it gorgeous or garish, astonishing or absurd, cinematic or corrupt --
it is impossible to imagine a scenario in which FIFA and the United States don't partner up to throw another one soon, possibly as soon as 2038. It is, for better and worse, inevitable.
What will be the feeling at the end of that one? Probably something similar to the mix of moods that fans all over the globe feel at the end of this one.
It was amazing. It was awful.
And they can't wait to do it again.
Why the USA will likely host the 2038 World Cup after President Donald Trump’s request
U.S. President Donald Trump has made it clear that he wants the United States to host another FIFA World Cup as soon as possible.
The sun has set on the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which was hosted by the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
The USA took the biggest load of the three nations, hosting 78 matches in what was an incredibly successful event. As a result, President Trump wants the tournament back on American soil.
In an interview with FOX Sports, President Trump revealed he’s discussed hosting the World Cup again with FIFA President Gianni Infantino, pushing Infantino to consider it even if it’s an unpopular decision.
The 2026 edition was the second time the USA has hosted a World Cup, with the previous edition coming 32 years ago in 1994.
The next two World Cups already have assigned hosts, with Spain, Morocco, and Portugal hosting the centennial 2030 edition alongside one game each in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
The 2034 edition will be hosted in Saudi Arabia, 12 years after Qatar was the last Asian country to host the tournament.
Why the USA will most likely be the 2038 World Cup hosts
Whether intentional or not, FIFA has essentially put itself in a situation where the USA is the only realistic country to act as hosts for the 2038 World Cup.
FIFA’s rules on rotating the World Cup hosts between continents for each edition are being tested in a major way.
A member association from a confederation that hosted either of the previous two World Cups is generally prohibited from bidding for the next one.
The 2030 edition will be hosted on three continents (Europe, South America, Africa), and 2034 is going to Saudi Arabia (Asia). This rules out four of the six continental confederations from hosting the 2038 WC.
With CONCACAF and Oceania the only eligible continents left for 2038, it’s almost a certainty that the USA’s bid for what might be a 64-team World Cup by then will be the winning one.