The draw for the 2026 World Cup takes place in Washington on Friday, with Donald Trump set to play a prominent role in a star-studded ceremony that will map out the path to glory for contenders at the first-ever 48-team finals.
The most logistically complex World Cup in history will be held across North America from June 11 to July 19, with 16 additional teams added to the global showpiece, up from the 32 nations that competed in Qatar in 2022.
Friday’s ceremony, which takes place at the Kennedy Center on the banks of the Potomac River from 1700 GMT, extends far beyond football, featuring several of the biggest names in American sports while Trump takes centre stage.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has developed a close relationship with Trump, making several visits to the White House.
The US President is expected to become the first-ever recipient of the FIFA Peace Prize, which will be awarded during the draw ceremony “to recognize the enormous efforts of those individuals who unite people, bringing hope for future generations,” as Infantino said.
The choice of venue also nods to Trump, who recently installed himself as chairman of the Kennedy Center, a performing arts venue opened in the 1970s and located a short walk from the White House.
The ceremony will be co-hosted by supermodel Heidi Klum and American actor-comedian Kevin Hart, and will feature performances by the Village People, Andrea Bocelli and Robbie Williams.
NFL legend Tom Brady, ice hockey icon Wayne Gretzky and former NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal will be among the stars assisting with the draw.
Trump has made the World Cup a centrepiece of both his second presidency and next year’s 250th anniversary of US independence. But he has not hesitated to inject domestic politics into the preparations, threatening to move World Cup matches from Democratic-run cities if he considers conditions “unsafe.”
“I would call Gianni, the head of FIFA, who’s phenomenal, and I would say, let’s move it to another location. And he would do that,” Trump said recently.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum will also attend the ceremony.
Eleven of the 16 World Cup venues are in the United States, with three in Mexico and two in Canada.
Argentina put title on the line
The political tension surrounding the draw escalated when Iran vowed to boycott the ceremony after the United States refused visas for several members of its delegation. Iranian Football Federation president Mehdi Taj condemned the decision as “purely political.” Iran later reversed its stance, confirming it would send representatives, including head coach Amir Ghalenoei.
Lionel Messi’s Argentina enter as reigning champions after securing their third title in Qatar in 2022.
Messi, who will turn 39 during the tournament, told ESPN this week: “I hope I can be there. I’ve said before that I’d love to be there.”
Argentina will be among the top seeds, along with European champions Spain, five-time winners Brazil, France, Germany, England, Portugal, the Netherlands and Belgium. The three host nations complete the first pot of seeds.
The tournament’s expansion has paved the way for several debutants, including Cape Verde, Jordan and Curaçao.
‘Natural evolution’
Despite criticism of the expansion, FIFA’s head of global football development Arsène Wenger insisted on Thursday that it was a “natural evolution” and that 48 teams is “the right number.”
The teams will be divided into 12 groups of four, with the top two in each group progressing alongside the eight best third-placed teams to the last 32.
For the first time, the draw will ensure the four highest-ranked nations — Spain, Argentina, France and England — are kept apart. They cannot meet until the semi-finals, provided they top their groups.
Six final berths remain undecided and will be filled through playoffs. The winners will join the lowest-seeded pot, meaning top sides will hope to avoid Italy — World Cup champions in 2006 but absent from the last two tournaments.
The opening match will take place at Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium, with the final scheduled for the MetLife Stadium outside New York City.
Because of the logistical complexity, teams will only learn their exact match venues and kickoff times on Saturday, a day after the draw.
