00:00Could the 2038 FIFA World Cup be hosted jointly by the US and New Zealand?
00:05It sounds completely wild, but thanks to FIFA's confederation rotation rules,
00:09this bizarre Pacific Corridor idea might actually happen.
00:13Here's the logic.
00:14No confederation can host twice in a row,
00:17and recent additions have seen at least two tournament gaps between confederations hosting again.
00:22So, with 2030 occupying Europe, Africa and South America,
00:262034 firmly locked in for Saudi Arabia,
00:28the door for 2038 swings wide open for North America and Oceania.
00:33Instead of fighting each other for solo bids,
00:35a cross-ocean partnership might be the ultimate solution.
00:38We're talking about a 48-team tournament bridging a 6,000-mile gap across the ocean.
00:43Rumours suggest utilising island stepping stones like Hawaii and Fiji for early group stay matches
00:48before shifting the heavy-hitting knockout rounds to massive US venues.
00:52They offer the unmatched financial muscle and infrastructure,
00:55whilst New Zealand brings incredible tournament execution and atmosphere.
00:59Ten years ago, I would find this hard to believe.
01:01But these days, it feels like there's no limit to what FIFA won't do with the world's biggest tournament.
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