France open to joint 2038 World Cup bid with Germany, says sports minister Marina Ferrari

France has signalled it is ready to explore a joint bid with Germany to host the 2038 World Cup, with Sports Minister Marina Ferrari publicly backing the idea as part of a long-term push to stage more major global events.

Speaking on French radio, Ferrari said the proposal had not yet become an official bid, but fitted squarely within France’s wider strategy to use top-level sport as an economic and diplomatic lever.

Her comments come as international football increasingly moves towards multi‐nation hosting, with Spain, Portugal and Morocco set to stage the 2030 World Cup and Saudi Arabia due to host the 2034 edition.

‘Idea not confirmed – but it has my support’

In an interview on Sud Radio, Ferrari addressed recent reports – including from French daily Le Parisien – that France and Germany are considering a joint file to host the 2038 tournament.

Quoting remarks reported by French broadcaster RMC, she said: “لم يتم تاكيد الامر في هذه المرحلة، اذ يعود للاتحادات الرياضية تقديم الطلبات والتقدم بالترشح. لم تتم استشارتي حتى الان، وانا واضحة بشان ذلك، لكن هذه الفكرة كانت موجودة منذ فترة”.

She added: “هذا يتماشى مع سياسة تنظيم الاحداث الرياضية الدولية الكبرى التي نعمل عليها في فرنسا، والتي نوليها اهتماما كبيرا”.

Ferrari stressed that any formal candidacy would ultimately be driven by the football federations rather than the government, but left no doubt about her political backing for the project.

Deepening Franco‐German sports partnership

Ferrari said sporting cooperation between France and Germany had intensified in recent years, and argued that the cross-border partnership could provide a powerful template for staging major tournaments.

She highlighted the countries’ shared hosting of the 2029 Handball World Championship as a practical rehearsal for future joint ventures.

“نحن نعمل بشكل متزايد مع شركاينا الاوروبيين، كما توكد بطولة العالم لكرة اليد التي ستنظم بين فرنسا والمانيا في 2029″، she said.

“هذا الامر يندرج ايضا ضمن سياسة تطوير اقتصاد الرياضة التي ندعمها بقوة في فرنسا”.

The minister framed the prospective World Cup bid as part of a broader effort to grow the sports economy, from tourism and infrastructure to event management expertise that can be exported abroad.

France targets annual global sports showcase

Ferrari reiterated that France aims to position itself as a near-permanent stage for elite international competition, building on a packed calendar that has included Euro 2016 and the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

She underlined that the government’s stance is to welcome major tournaments across different sports: “نحن ندعم جميع الاحداث الرياضية الدولية الكبرى”.

The minister said she was proud of France’s ability to deliver complex global events and pointed to future milestones already on the calendar.

“في كل عام ستستضيف فرنسا حدثا رياضيا دوليا كبيرا، وستكون الذروة مع الالعاب الاولمبية والبارالمبية الشتوية عام 2030″، Ferrari said.

“منذ عام 2024 اكتسبنا خبرة كبيرة تحظى باعجاب العالم اجمع، ونقوم بتصديرها، كما نمتلك البنية التحتية التي تسمح لنا اليوم باستضافة هذه الاحداث الكبرى”.

World Cup legacy and future race

France has staged the men’s World Cup once before, in 1998, when a team led by Zinedine Zidane lifted the trophy on home soil for the country’s first world title.

By keeping itself in the frame for 2038, France is seeking to reinforce its position in the race to host flagship global events at a time when joint bids are becoming the norm in international football.

The 2030 World Cup will be hosted across Spain, Portugal and Morocco, while Saudi Arabia has been awarded the 2034 edition.

Any Franco‐German candidacy for 2038 would enter a competitive landscape shaped by those recent decisions – but, if it goes ahead, it would draw on a decade and a half of continuous major-event hosting experience and a deepening partnership at the heart of Europe.