France is exploring the possibility of hosting a future Fifa World Cup, with French Football Federation (FFF) president Philippe Diallo indicating that a joint bid with other countries could be considered.
The 2038 tournament has emerged as a potential target, although the FFF has not announced an official bid.
Discussions remain at an early stage, with the federation yet to identify possible partners or establish which edition of the competition it might seek to host.
Diallo outlined the idea in comments reported by French newspaper Ouest-France, describing a future World Cup bid as a potentially more ambitious project for French football.
“There is perhaps a stronger project, which would be to bid for a future World Cup,” he said.
The proposal reflects the growing scale of the tournament and the resources required to stage it.
France's football authorities believe cooperation with other countries would be necessary to meet the demands of hosting the expanded competition..
The World Cup has grown from 32 participating teams to 48, increasing the number of matches and the infrastructure needed to accommodate the competition.
Under the requirements outlined by Diallo, a host would need at least 16 large stadiums to stage a tournament involving 48 teams.
“We have gone from 32 to 48 participating teams. With 48, you need at least 16 large stadiums,” he explained, according to the reported comments.
The scale of those requirements has led the FFF president to suggest that France should not necessarily pursue the project alone.
“So, for France, that means we need to join forces with other countries,” he added.
A multinational bid could allow participating nations to share hosting responsibilities, including the distribution of matches between different territories.
Such an arrangement would also enable them to combine the facilities and infrastructure needed to accommodate teams, supporters and official delegations.
The approach would offer a way for France to explore hosting the tournament while working with partners to meet the requirements established by Fifa, world football's governing body.
Although the 2038 World Cup has been mentioned in connection with the French federation's ambitions, the prospect has not progressed to the stage of a formal candidature.
Before moving towards an official proposal, the FFF would need to clarify its plans, assess potential partnerships and examine the conditions that Fifa requires prospective hosts to satisfy.
The tournament's international schedule and the rules governing the selection of hosts would also influence which edition France might pursue.
France previously hosted the men's World Cup in 1998, when the country staged the tournament on home soil. A future bid would provide an opportunity for the country to seek hosting rights again, potentially through cooperation with other nations.
However, the expanded format of the competition means that preparing a successful bid would require significant planning and coordination.
Any joint proposal would have to account for the number of stadiums needed, the distribution of matches and the wider logistical demands associated with welcoming national teams and international supporters.