STORY
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said he wants the men’s football World Cup to return to the United Kingdom in 2042. Burnham raised the idea during informal discussions with regional mayors in Manchester, saying he wanted the tournament to be staged in the British Isles almost eight decades after England last hosted it in 1966.
No formal bid has yet been launched, although Downing Street is understood to be supportive if the Football Association decides to pursue one. A future bid could involve England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, while the four home nations are already due to stage Euro 2028 jointly with the Republic of Ireland. England’s previous attempt to host the 2018 World Cup was unsuccessful.
FIFA rules mean a European country is not expected to be eligible to host the men’s tournament again until 2042. The 2030 competition will be centred on Spain, Portugal and Morocco and the 2034 tournament will be held in Saudi Arabia. Burnham has also discussed the possibility of a multi-city Olympic and Paralympic bid for northern England in the 2040s, with UK Sport already examining whether such a bid could be viable.