White House World Cup Chief Says U.S. Could Host a 64-Team Tournament as Early as 2038

Andrew Giuliani has a message for the rest of the world: if FIFA wants to blow up the World Cup format again, America is ready.

Giuliani, who runs the White House Task Force on the World Cup for the 2026 tournament being co-hosted by the U.S., Mexico and Canada, told the Press Association that the United States has the stadiums, the infrastructure and the appetite to handle an expanded 64-team field. And he thinks a return bid for 2038 is realistic.

“This is what I’ve spoken about with President Trump, with so many of our cabinet secretaries,” Giuliani said. “I think there’s no better country that’s positioned to host a World Cup than the United States, and I think we’re seeing that on social media.”

Why 2038 makes sense

The next few World Cups are already spoken for. The 2030 tournament will span three continents — Europe, Africa and South America — as a centenary celebration. Saudi Arabia gets 2034 as Asia’s representative. After that, North America could come back into the rotation fairly quickly.

Giuliani pointed to the cost advantage. Most host nations spend tens of billions on new stadiums and infrastructure. The U.S. is essentially recycling what it already built.

“We have the stadiums built, so for the US, compared to other host nations, where it costs tens and tens of billions of dollars, you know, it cost us a couple billion,” he said. “When you think that this World Cup may at some point expand out to 64 teams, I think the United States can handle it.”

He added a personal note too. Giuliani attended matches as a kid in 1994 when the U.S. last hosted alone. He wants to see the tournament return before he gets too old to enjoy it.

Trump and the final

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has confirmed that Donald Trump plans to attend the final in New Jersey on July 19. So far, Trump hasn’t shown up at any matches. Giuliani hinted that’s intentional.

“One thing I’ll tell you about my boss, and the 47th president — I’ve known him for, geez, close to 30 years now at this point — he likes a cliffhanger,” Giuliani said. “He likes to keep you on the edge of your seat. So, all I would just tell people is, tune in, and we’ll see some surprises, I’m sure.”

Pre-tournament concerns from human rights groups about the Trump administration’s immigration policies and how they might affect fans haven’t materialized into major problems so far. The atmosphere across host cities has been largely positive.

Giuliani said the early weeks of the tournament have been a boost for the country’s image.

“It’s so wonderful to see the world’s love affair with the United States of America over our 250th birthday,” he said. “It’s been very gratifying.”