Global soccer governing body FIFA has tendered the media rights in the US and Puerto Rico for the FIFA World Cup in 2030 and 2034, seeking a major rights uplift following the success of the 2026 edition, which the country co-hosted.
Rights have been tendered for the 2030 edition, with bidding broadcasters also holding the option to take up 2034 rights.
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FIFA says it is seeking partners who can “reach large audiences through innovative ways to watch, and contribute revenues for the benefit of football.”
Currently, the rights in the US are split between media giant Fox, which holds English-language rights, and NBC-owned Spanish-language network Telemundo, which holds the Spanish-language rights.
Fox paid $485 million for English-language rights to the 2026 World Cup, while Telemundo paid $600 million.
That deal was struck back in 2015, and ended up representing a premium on value for the highly lucrative 2026 edition.
As such, FIFA will now be seeking a major uplift, and is unlikely to want to split broadcasters again, which perhaps gives the edge to NBC, although streaming services such as Netflix are now also likely to rival the ‘traditional’ linear heavyweights for the sought-after rights packages.
The 2030 World Cup will be staged in Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, with one game each to be held in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
In 2034, the World Cup will be hosted for the first time by Saudi Arabia, the second time the event will go to the Middle East, after the Qatar 2022 edition.
The 2026 World Cup was held in the US, Canada, and Mexico, between June 11 and July 19, and brought in major audiences across those home markets throughout its duration.
Fox and Telemundo contributed to a record 62.8 million people watching the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina, with the Fox coverage in particular breaking the specific record for the most-watched soccer telecast in the US, as well as the record for the most-watched World Cup final in the US.
Meanwhile, FIFA has also announced that the first-ever edition of its Women’s Club World Cup, the counterpart to the revamped men’s Club World Cup hosted in the US in 2025, will also be hosted in the US.
The event will be staged in 2028 from January 5 to 30, with 19 sides from all six confederations.
Seven of those clubs have already been confirmed: Arsenal (England), Club America (Mexico), FC Barcelona (Spain), Gotham FC (US), Naegohyang Women's FC (North Korea), Corinthians (Brazil), and Wuhan Jiangda WFC (China).
Speaking on the selection of the US as inaugural host, FIFA chief women's football officer Sarai Bareman said: “We undertook a detailed assessment to identify the most suitable host for the inaugural edition of the FIFA Women’s Club World Cup.
“Ultimately, the United States’ recent excellence in staging top FIFA tournaments, combined with the significant interest in women’s football there plus its elite sporting infrastructure, made the country the standout option.”
“Alongside the vibrant and passionate women’s football ecosystem in the United States, the qualified clubs, government, host cities, our commercial and media partners, and more, our mission will be to set an impressive standard for global women’s club football and a benchmark for the future.”
