Andy Burnham Wants 2042 World Cup Return to the UK

Key Points

• Andy Burnham has announced that he wants to see the men’s World Cup return to the UK in 2042.
• The mayor’s remarks came while he was at a meeting with regional mayors at No 10 North in Manchester.
• The England team has only appeared in the World Cup once, in 1966, when they won the final against West Germany 4-2.
• The formal bid can be made by England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all together.
• In addition, FIFA’s continental rotation rules prevent a European country from hosting an event until 2042.
• The 2030 World Cup will be held in Spain, Portugal and Morocco and the 2034 World Cup will be played in Saudi Arabia.
• A Downing Street official confirmed the government is supporting the FA’s bid.
• England missed out on the 2018 World Cup, which was won by Russia, in the face of corruption allegations.
• Meanwhile, Burnham hinted at a multi-city bid for the north of England for the Olympics and Paralympics.
• Earlier, UK Sports was asked by Keir Starmer to see if an Olympic bid was feasible.

Manchester (Britain Today News) August 22, 2026 — Andy Burnham has said he wants to bring the men’s World Cup back to the United Kingdom in 2042, a move that would see the tournament return to British shores for the first time in almost eight decades. Speaking at a meeting with regional mayors at No 10 North in Manchester on Friday, Burnham told those present that he was keen to see the tournament played in the British Isles once again.

What Did Andy Burnham Say About a 2042 World Cup Bid?

At the gathering of regional mayors, Burnham made clear his ambition to see football’s biggest prize return to home soil. Burnham, who holds a season ticket at Everton and is widely known as a committed football supporter, had already signalled his frustration earlier this month, stating that it was “insane” that only one World Cup had ever been staged anywhere in the UK. His remarks in Manchester reaffirmed that position, with the mayor pressing colleagues on the potential of a UK-wide push for the tournament.

Why Has England Only Hosted the World Cup Once?

England’s solitary experience of hosting football’s premier international competition came in 1966, when the home nation defeated West Germany 4-2 in the final after extra time at Wembley Stadium. It remains the only occasion on which England has either hosted or won the World Cup, a fact that has become a point of frustration for football figures such as Burnham. Almost sixty years on, no other UK nation has staged a single World Cup fixture.

Could Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland Join a Joint Bid?

It is understood that any formal application to stage the competition could extend beyond England to include the other home nations. Notably, none of Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland has ever hosted a World Cup match. This would not be unprecedented in modern tournament planning: joint bids between neighbouring countries have become increasingly common in recent years. England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are already set to host the men’s European Championship in 2028 alongside the Republic of Ireland, offering a template for how a wider UK and Ireland collaboration might work for football’s largest tournament.

What Did Downing Street Say About the Ambition?

Responding to Burnham’s comments, a Downing Street source addressed the government’s position on backing future tournament bids. The source said:

“We support the FA’s priorities in terms of the tournaments they are already hosting, and any others they’d like to bid for.”

The source added:

“It would always be great to host more tournaments. These are broad aspirations – it’s a general ambition. The prime minister is a sports fan and loves his football.”

The statement suggests that while no formal bid process has begun, there is political appetite in government to support the Football Association should it choose to pursue the tournament.

Why Did England’s Bid for the 2018 World Cup Fail?

England has previous experience of failed World Cup bidding. The country made an unsuccessful attempt to host the 2018 tournament, which was ultimately awarded to Russia amid widespread allegations of corruption surrounding the bidding process. That defeat remains a sensitive point in English football’s recent history, and any renewed bid would need to contend with the scrutiny that has followed Fifa’s bidding and hosting decisions in the years since.

Did Burnham Previously Criticise Russia’s Hosting of the World Cup?

Burnham’s history with World Cup hosting controversies extends back over a decade. In 2014, while serving in the shadow cabinet, Burnham said he was uncomfortable that the tournament was still permitted to take place in Russia despite the country’s annexation of Crimea. That earlier stance underlines a long-standing engagement with the politics surrounding the sport’s biggest event, separate from his more recent comments about the UK’s own hosting ambitions.

What Are Fifa’s Rules on World Cup Hosting Rotation?

Under current FIFA regulations, no European country would be eligible to stage the World Cup until 2042. This restriction stems from rules introduced by football’s world governing body in 2000, when the tournament was set to rotate around its six continental confederations. That system led directly to South Africa hosting its first World Cup in 2010. However, the strict rotation policy was scrapped in October 2007. In its place, nations are barred from bidding to host a World Cup if either of the previous two tournaments took place on the same continent, effectively ruling out a European host for the foreseeable future.

Which Countries Will Host the World Cup Before 2042?

The tournament calendar in the years leading up to 2042 is already largely settled. The 2030 World Cup will be jointly hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco, with some early matches also being played in South America to mark the tournament’s centenary, since the first World Cup was staged in Uruguay in 1930. FIFA has additionally confirmed that Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 World Cup. The location of the 2038 tournament has yet to be announced, though under the existing rotation rules, matches are likely to take place in either North America or Oceania, a region that includes Australia and New Zealand.

Could the North of England Also Host the Olympics?

Burnham’s ambitions on the international sporting stage were not limited to football during the Manchester meeting. He is also understood to have discussed the possibility of the north of England hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games during the 2040s. Earlier this year, under former prime minister Keir Starmer, UK Sport was commissioned to assess whether such a bid would be viable, marking an early but significant step in exploring the region’s Olympic hosting potential.
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What Might a Multi-City Bid Look Like?

It is understood that the government is weighing up the possibility of a “multi-city bid” as part of any future Olympic ambitions, an approach designed to spread the economic benefits of hosting across several northern cities rather than concentrating investment and infrastructure in a single location. This model would mirror the collaborative, cross-region approach already being floated for the 2042 World Cup ambition, suggesting a broader strategic push towards shared, regionally distributed hosting of major sporting events across the UK.

What Happens Next for the UK’s World Cup Ambitions?

No formal bid has yet been submitted for the 2042 World Cup, and Downing Street has been careful to frame the ambition as a “general” one rather than a concrete commitment. Any move towards an official bid would likely require close coordination between the Football Association, devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and the UK government, alongside continued monitoring of FIFA’s hosting rules as the 2038 decision approaches. For now, Burnham’s comments mark an early public statement of intent from a senior regional figure, setting the tone for what could become a long-term national conversation about football’s return to the country that hosted its only World Cup victory nearly sixty years ago.