The speculative nattering kicked in at around the same time the last scrap of golden confetti had found a resting place on the turf at, um, New York New Jersey Stadium. As the no-showbiz Spanish team lifted the hardware, chatter about where fans new and old might expect to watch the 2030 and 2034 installments of the FIFA World Cup began sparking like the faulty wiring in Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes’ overheated brain.
Slipshod speculation is one of the things that makes fandom so much fun—if nothing else, all the jawing about FIFA’s looming media-rights dance helped take some of the sting out of the prospect of a World Cup-free Monday—but maybe let’s hold off for a bit with the Nostradamus routine. The thing is, nobody has even the slightest idea of what might transpire when Gianni Infantino’s crew puts the next two tourneys up for bids in about six months’ time, largely because the particulars surrounding the 2030/2034 package have yet to be revealed.
While it’s a safe bet to assume that the incumbents at Fox Sports and Telemundo are all-in on renewing their respective deals, neither party knows precisely what it will be vying for a half-a-year from now. Among the decisions that have yet to be reached by the gang at FIFA HQ include particulars related to the format, the available advertising inventory and the possibility that FIFA may look to offer an exclusive, all-inclusive rights package to one lucky stateside outlet.
