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England may finally be moving towards bringing the World Cup back to British soil, with plans taking shape for a possible bid to stage the tournament in either 2038 or 2042. The ambitious move, reportedly supported by senior political figures, is aimed at ending a wait of several decades to host football's biggest event once again.

The long wait for a home tournament

According to The Sun, Great Britain is weighing up a bid to host either the 2038 or 2042 World Cup. Backed by Prime Minister Andy Burnham, the proposal is designed to return football's showpiece tournament to Britain for the first time since 1966.

Burnham is said to see a World Cup bid as an important catalyst for national investment, tourism and urban renewal, raising the possibility of the tournament coming back to British shores at last. His plan is centred on spreading the economic and infrastructure gains far beyond London so that the entire country benefits from a lasting legacy.

Spreading the benefits across Britain

If the bid succeeds, matches would likely be staged in a range of cities and regions, attracting millions of overseas visitors and providing a major lift to local economies. Along with its worldwide tourist appeal and strong transport links, Britain already has the top-class stadium infrastructure required to host a competition of this size.

The UK has not staged the men's World Cup since 1966, though England did host Euro 1996 and Wembley Stadium was the venue for the Euro 2020 final. In addition, the UK and Ireland are due to co-host Euro 2028. Those major events highlight the country's ability to organise elite international tournaments.

Navigating the FIFA hosting cycle

The proposal comes after England's impressive run at the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Thomas Tuchel's team went into the tournament as one of the favourites for the title and reached the semi-finals before finishing third, sealing that place with a dramatic 6-4 win over France in the play-off.

The 2030 World Cup will be staged across Spain, Morocco and Portugal, with opening celebratory matches taking place in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay to mark the tournament's centenary. With Saudi Arabia set to host the 2034 edition, the 2038 and 2042 tournaments are the next available opportunities for European and international bids, subject to FIFA's rotation rules.

A competitive road to 2038

Any proposal from Britain would almost certainly face stiff competition from other countries hoping to host the tournament. Even so, the prospect of bringing the World Cup back to England - six decades after Sir Alf Ramsey's famous 1966 win over West Germany at Wembley - carries huge emotional significance for supporters who have waited generations to welcome the global spectacle again.