France urged to bid for 2038 World Cup to drive stadium upgrades | OneFootball

A forthcoming 118-page report from Territoires d’événements sportifs, created after Euro 2016 and grouping 30 host authorities, urges France to bid for the Women’s Euro 2033, the Men’s Euro 2036 and the 2038 World Cup to accelerate stadium modernisation.

According to L'Équipe, the document will be handed to sports minister Marina Ferrari at the Stade de France on Saturday during the Top 14 final between Toulouse and Montpellier, after presentation at TES’s general assembly that morning.

Commissioned in December 2024 by then minister Gil Avérous to assess major venues excluding the Stade de France, the study calls for clearer and more complementary public and private funding to keep French stadiums at international standard.

Its seventh of 15 recommendations backs bids for major football tournaments, starting with the 2038 World Cup. The authors say France remains among the few nations able to stage such events alone, though a joint bid with a European neighbour such as Germany could strengthen the case and cut the tournament’s carbon footprint.

Environmental performance is a central theme. With Saudi Arabia set for 2034 and formats and match numbers growing, the report argues delivery should return to a more sustainable model. TES also backs Euro 2036 and Euro 2033 to mobilise mid-sized venues.

The authors also flag a possible bid to host the FIFA Club World Cup around 2033 or 2037, if the revamped competition proves successful and becomes permanent.

Elsewhere, the report proposes removing or relaxing the blanket ban on alcohol sales in stadiums under article L.3335-4 of the public health code, a change likely to reignite debate. It also sets out best practice for local authorities after a review of every Ligue 1 and Top 14 ground.

Source: L'Équipe