Wednesday 03 April 2024, 10:45

Tender process opens for media rights to FIFA World Cup 26™ in United Kingdom

  • Media rights tender for England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales now open

  • Tender process includes rights to next two FIFA World Cups™

  • Tournaments to feature 48 nations, uniting the world through football

FIFA has launched invitations to tender (ITT) for the media rights to the FIFA World Cup 26™ and FIFA World Cup 2030™ in the United Kingdom. The FIFA World Cup 26 will be the 23rd edition of the competition and will be jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States. With a record 48 teams, 16 Host Cities and three host countries, the tournament will feature an unprecedented 104 matches, uniting the globe through football in June and July 2026. The upcoming FIFA World Cup™ will offer a greater chance for teams to qualify than ever before. UEFA (Europe) will benefit from three additional direct slots, taking its total allocation from 13 to 16 teams. Like the 2026 edition, FIFA World Cup 2030 will generate enormous excitement across the globe. The FIFA Council unanimously agreed in October 2023 that, subject to the completion of a successful bidding process and subsequent approval of the FIFA Congress in 2024, the sole candidacy for FIFA World Cup 2030 will be the combined bid of Morocco, Portugal, and Spain. Additionally, the FIFA Council agreed to host three FIFA World Cup 2030 matches in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay as part of a unique centenary celebration to mark one hundred years since the first FIFA World Cup took place. The tender process will allow FIFA to select the entity, or entities, best placed to secure the required transmission and programming commitments to achieve FIFA’s objective of reaching the widest possible audience whilst providing a high-quality viewing experience for fans. Entities wishing to participate in the tender process can request the relevant ITT(s) by emailing UK-media-rights@fifa.org. The bid submission deadline is 11:00am CEST on Monday 29 April 2024. Through the sale of media rights for its football tournaments, FIFA generates income which is essential to support and develop football around the world, including through the FIFA Forward Development Programme.

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