FIFA has set a deadline of April 16 for bid submissions from interested parties. (FIFA imagery)

Global soccer’s governing body FIFA has begun its media rights sales processes for the 2026 and 2030 men’s World Cups in six European markets.

Invitations to tender (ITT) have now been launched in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Moldova, Romania, and Slovakia. The bid submission deadline is April 16 at 10:00 am Central European Time.

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The 2026 FIFA World Cup will take place across Mexico, the US, and Canada, while the 2030 edition will be staged for the most part by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. However, three games from that event will also be held in Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay.

The 2026 World Cup will be the first to feature 48 teams – up from 32 in 2022 – meaning that 16 European sides will qualify, as opposed to 13 for the last edition.

In terms of recent World Cup media rights tenders, FIFA began processes in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg in mid-January. That month also saw media rights for the 2026 and 2030 editions go to market in France, Monaco, Andorra, and the French overseas territories.

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For the 2022 World Cup, rights across the six countries where tenders have just launched were held by BNT and Nova in Bulgaria, Czech TV and Nova (Czech Republic), MTVA (Hungary), Teleradio (Moldova), Pro TV (Romania), and RTV (Slovakia).

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These came through an overall deal for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments on the continent between FIFA and the European Broadcast Union alliance of public-service broadcasters.

FIFA has said the tenders will allow it to select the media partners “which are best placed to secure the required transmission and programming commitments to fulfill FIFA’s objective of reaching the widest possible audience while providing a high-quality viewing experience for fans.”

Due to the location, the 2030 World Cup will (for the most part) take place during a friendlier timezone in terms of being broadcast in Central and Eastern Europe.

Of the six countries where tender processes have now begun, none qualified for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.