First official comment: France welcomes Germany's partnership to host the 2038 World Cup

France have opened the door to a joint bid with Germany to host the 2038 World Cup, after French Sports Minister Marina Ferrari welcomed the idea and stressed that staging major sporting tournaments sits at the heart of her country's strategy for the coming years.

Speaking on a morning programme on Sud Radio, Ferrari addressed reports of a possible joint France-Germany bid, in line with what the newspaper "Le Parisien" had published. The idea, she noted, has not yet reached the official implementation stage, but it has her backing.

The French Sports Minister said, as reported by the French network RMC : "It has not been confirmed at this stage, as it is up to the sports federations to submit the applications and put forward the candidacy. I have not been consulted so far, and I am clear about that, but this idea has been around for a while."

She added: "This is in line with the policy of hosting major international sporting events that we are working on in France, and to which we attach great importance."

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French-German cooperation in hosting sporting events

Cooperation between France and Germany in sport has grown more prominent lately, Ferrari confirmed, and she believes the partnership could prove a winning model for hosting major tournaments.

She pointed to the 2029 Handball World Championship, jointly staged by the two nations, saying: "We are working increasingly with our European partners, as confirmed by the Handball World Championship that will be organised between France and Germany in 2029."

Developing the sports economy also drives the plan, she went on: "This also falls within the policy of developing the sports economy that we strongly support in France."

Her backing for major events runs wider still. "We support all major international sporting events," the French Minister affirmed.

France banks on its experience in hosting tournaments

Ferrari took pride in France's record of staging the biggest global events, citing Euro 2016 and then the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris 2024.

She said: "Every year France will host a major international sporting event, and the peak will be with the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2030."

She added: "Since 2024 we have gained great experience that is admired by the whole world, and we export it, and we also have the infrastructure that allows us today to host these major events."

France hosted the World Cup once, in 1998, and lifted their first title on home soil. Now they want to build their standing in the race for global tournaments, just as international football gears up for more joint bids between European nations.

The 2030 World Cup will be held in Spain, Portugal and Morocco, while Saudi Arabia hosts the 2034 edition.

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