FIFA appoints Rio Ferdinand, Tom Brady, Shaquille O’Neal, Aaron Judge and Wayne Gretzky as leaders of the 2026 World Cup draw

The 2026 World Cup The draw will take place on November 5 at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC, an event that will determine the path for each national team participating in the tournament. With less than a week to go, FIFA has announced that sports icons Rio FerdinandTom Brady, Shaquille O’Neal, Aaron Judge and Wayne Gretzky will officiate the ceremony.

As in recent editions, football legends have traditionally overseen the draw and handled the process of drawing each team from its respective pot to announce the matchups and group placings. This time FIFA has opted for what they call a “legendary multi-sport setup“, with former England captain Ferdinand hosting the event.

With the announcement, Ferdinand expressed his gratitude for the opportunity presented. “It is an incredible honor to conduct this historic trek. As a player I have lived for these global stages – now I am humbled to play a different, special role together with an incredible line-up to unveil the 12 groups of four teams that the whole world is waiting for”, he told the official FIFA website.

The group is completed by stars from the major North American leagues: the The NFL’s Tom Bradythe NBA player Shaquille O’Neal, MLB’s Aaron Judgeand the The NHL’s Wayne Gretzky.

In addition to the official announcement, all the legends from the different sports spoke to the official FIFA websiteand agree that the World Cup draw is one of the biggest stages in global sport. In addition, another NFL legend, Eli Manning, will host the red carpet and welcome all the celebrities attending the ceremony.

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World Cup draw and the performing artists

With 48 teams set to take part in the tournament, the 2026 World Cup draw is expected to be another global spectacle for the biggest ever edition, attracting interest from around the world. With such a unique opportunity, FIFA has also lined up international artists to perform at the ceremony.

Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli will perform a special feat in the draw, with world stars Robbie Williams and Nicole Scherzinger also scheduled to take the stage. Furthermore, after the draw is over, Village people will return to perform their iconic hit “YMCA”