FA can bring World Cup home in 2038 and trump USA to end 60 years of inexplicable England hurt

The longer that I am here, the crazier it becomes. 

How can England not host the World Cup – and not even be involved in the worldwide conversation?

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Time for England to bet back in the World Cup game

Those thoughts have increasingly rattled around my head in recent months, as a Houston yankee living and working in King Charles’ court.

They reached peak clamor when the United States publicly demanded first dibs on the next available World Cup (2038), after receiving mostly ringing praise from international players and fans during the record-setting success of the 2026 tournament.

“We will be requesting it again immediately,” US President Donald Trump told FOX Sports. 

It was incredible watching residents of Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, Boston, Kansas City and six other American cities proudly unite inside packed, state-of-the-art stadiums for six weeks of international football that took over the world.

It also made England’s 60-year World Cup hosting drought feel even more outdated.

How can you have roaring Anfield, glorious bacon baps and sausage rolls, and the athletic beauty of the English football pyramid, but never display England’s greatest assets to the globe in the world’s biggest sports tournament?

While I watched overnight 2026 World Cup highlights on the morning Tube ride to work, several of the best professional football clubs on the planet were located just miles away and sported World Cup-ready stadiums.

Some have complained that it would be unfair for the USA to host three World Cups in less than half a century.

When did ‘fair’ become a negotiating tactic in the gazillion-dollar global sports marketplace?

Smaller countries leaping to the top

The obvious reality is that the World Cup just keeps getting bigger and bigger – remember when 32 teams was a thing? – and you must speak louder than ever to be heard. 

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How can Qatar (2022) and Saudi Arabia (2034) receive highly modern World Cups but the best football country in the world be left out decade after decade?

Of course, money, power and politics are involved – that’s been a thing for thousands of years, especially in England.  

But how can Spain, Portugal and Morocco be rewarded with co-hosting the 2030 World Cup, but the geographic home of Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham be continually excluded from the prestigious invite list?

Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay will also host World Cup matches in 2030 to celebrate the tournament’s 100-year anniversary, making England’s lack of participation even more inexplicable.

Home soil 2028 Euros proves World Cup can work

When asked about England potentially hosting a future World Cup, the Mayor of London’s office told talkSPORT, “It would be their (English Football Association) decision as to whether England could bid for the World Cup – and for London to be part of that bid.

“Our wider ongoing work here is around major football tournaments … UEFA Euro 2028 (which London is a host city for) and the bid for the 2035 FIFA Women’s World Cup – which will include multiple football grounds in London.”

talkSPORT approached the FA for comment.

World Cup past and present

Host countries:

2034: Saudi Arabia
2030: Spain, Portugal, Morocco (Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay opening matches)
2026: United States, Canada, Mexico
2022: Qatar
2018: Russia
2014: Brazil
2010: South Africa
2006: Germany
2002: Japan, South Korea
1998: France
1994: United States
1990: Italy
1986: Mexico
1982: Spain
1978: Argentina
1974: West Germany
1970: Mexico
1966: England
1962: Chile
1958: Sweden
1954: Switzerland
1950: Brazil
1938: France
1934: Italy
1930: Uruguay

It’s hard to nail down the exact number, but I’ve heard some variation of ‘England hasn’t won the World Cup since 1966’ about 10,000 times since relocating from the USA in 2023.

But that’s not the real story — even after Thomas Tuchel made Argentina look much better than it really was during the last 30 minutes of the 2026 World Cup semifinals. 

The most absurd stat is that England hasn’t hosted the World Cup in 60 years – and it doesn’t appear that sad fact will change anytime soon.

There’s more immediate hope for women’s football.

The English FA, Irish FA, Scottish FA and FA of Wales in November submitted a joint bid for the 2035 Women’s World Cup.

The tournament would be the largest single-sport event ever staged in the UK, while including 22 stadiums in 16 host cities. 

One phone call can change it all

“With 63 million people living within two hours of a proposed venue, it would be the most accessible tournament ever,” an FA announcement read.

That sounds like a perfect pitch to Gianni Infantino and FIFA for the next available men’s World Cup, too.

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Having soaked up the addicting passion of the 2024 Euros and 2026 World Cup in my neighborhood pubs, my mind explodes when thinking of a real World Cup being played in the land that created the game.

One phone call could change everything for England in a sport currently dominated by Lamine Yamal, Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland, Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane. 

Prince William is the biggest Aston Villa supporter in the world. 

David Beckham was all over my TV the last two months and possesses one of the most respected sporting names on the planet. 

Andy Burnham, the UK’s upbeat new prime minister, is an Everton devotee with strong football ties.

What better way to link up the north of England with the south than a World Cup that shows off Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Newcastle and central London to the world?

Elite stadiums and passionate fans await

Trump became so involved in the 2026 World Cup that he helped get a red-card suspension overturned and stood on the same stage as world champion Spain.

But there don’t appear to be any current plans for England to end a World Cup hosting drought that dates back to before the Rolling Stones released Beggars Banquet. 

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The recent push to bounce the World Cup between multiple countries should work in England’s favor, since the home soil 2028 Euros will be played in England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland.

The month-long tournament is scheduled to feature games played across nine venues in eight cities, including Wembley Stadium (88,000 capacity), Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (60k), Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium (50k) and Principality Stadium (73k).

Wembley and Tottenham are annually used by the NFL for regular-season games as American football pushes international expansion, which further highlights that England has the ability to be a men’s World Cup host in 12 years.

If the greatest football country in the world wants to finally get back in the big-money game.