FIFA has opened a U.S. tender for the 2030 men's World Cup and will accept bids until Nov. 19, with an option for the winner to also secure 2034. The 2030 tournament spans Spain, Portugal and Morocco, while the 2034 event is slated for Saudi Arabia, where Riyadh runs seven hours ahead of New York. That time gap could squeeze U.S. primetime windows, a factor for pricing both cycles. Even so, FIFA Chief Business Officer Romy Gai said he does not expect time zones to weigh too heavily on offers, adding, "I'm sure that we will have every day matches that will be available in the right time zone for the U.S." and "We expect it to have an impact [on the bidding], but not as big as you think."
The last time FIFA completed a U.S. television deal for the men's World Cup was in 2011, and the framework for this cycle may look different. The organization would rather sell English and Spanish rights together to one outlet, unlike the last cycle when NBCUniversal's Telemundo carried Spanish coverage and Fox held English. That split produced friction with FIFA, as Peacock streamed Spanish matches at a lower price point than Fox One, which offered English commentary.
Interest is already brewing. CNBC said in July that YouTube, Netflix, Amazon and Disney are eyeing the package. Media executives at the time pegged potential U.S. pricing in the 1.5 billion to 2 billion dollar range. For comparison, Fox paid 425 million dollars for 2026 and set new U.S. ratings records, averaging 13.5 million viewers per match, up 166% from 2022.
FIFA says it will consider a single buyer for the whole bundle or a joint approach that could pair a streamer with a traditional broadcaster. "We want to be flexible," Gai said. "We expect a big number of participants, both from the linear side and from the streamer side, but we want to listen to what is relevant for them, and then we can build up the best case together."
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If a streaming service prevails, FIFA will require a slate of matches to be available free to viewers, either via sublicensing some games or placing them on a no-cost tier if the platform has one. Separately, Netflix has already secured 2030 World Cup rights in Spain, with a clause ensuring a free-to-air broadcaster airs no fewer than one match per day.
Once bids land on Nov. 19, a FIFA group will travel to the U.S. around Thanksgiving for in-person talks with media companies. From there, FIFA could trim the list and seek a final round of offers or pick a winner on the spot. Gai said the organization intends to select its next U.S. media partner by year's end.
The bottom line: this auction will test how much value U.S. media buyers put on global sports when kickoffs shift out of primetime and some matches must be free. The winner will shape where and how U.S. viewers - and your portfolio's media holdings - experience the next two World Cups.
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