The draw for the 2026 World Cup took place in Washington on Saturday morning AEDT, with US President Donald Trump playing a prominent role in a star-studded ceremony that will chart the path to glory for contenders in the first-ever 48-team final.
Before the draw began at the Kennedy Center, FIFA chief Gianni Infantino, who has built a close relationship with Trump, presented the US president’s inaugural peace prize to FIFA.
FIFA says the honor “recognizes the tremendous efforts of those individuals who unite people and bring hope for future generations.”
In a video before the presentation, Trump was celebrated for resolving the war in Gaza and his effort to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The trophy, a gold-plated globe carried by raised hands, was considerably larger than the Nobel Prize, which is just a simple medal.
He took a moment to congratulate himself. The United States, he said, was “not doing very well” before he took office, but now “we are the hottest country in the world.”
Trump previously told reporters that he didn’t care about the price, but noted that he had “settled eight wars” in his 10 months as president.
“I don’t need awards. I need to save lives,” Trump said. “I’ve saved millions and millions of lives, and that’s really what I want to do.”
The most logistically complex World Cup in history will be held from June 11 to July 19 in the United States, Mexico and Canada. An additional 16 teams will be added to the global showpiece, up from the 32 countries involved in Qatar in 2022.
The draw was co-hosted by supermodel Heidi Klum and American actor and comedian Kevin Hart, and featured performances by the Village People, Robbie Williams and Andrea Bocelli.
NFL legend Tom Brady, hockey icon Wayne Gretzky and former NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal were among the stars who helped lead the draft.
NFL legend Tom Brady, hockey icon Wayne Gretzky and former NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal were among the stars who helped lead the draft. Source: AP / Alex Brandon
Trump has made the World Cup a centerpiece of both his second presidency and the 250th anniversary of American independence next year.
But he has injected domestic politics into the preparations, threatening to move World Cup matches out of Democratic-run cities if he deems conditions “unsafe.”
“I would call Gianni, the head of FIFA, who is phenomenal, and I would say, let’s move it to another location. And he would do that,” Trump said recently.
Eleven of the sixteen World Cup locations are in the United States, three of which are in Mexico and two in Canada.
Azteca Stadium in Mexico City will host the opening match and the final will take place at MetLife Stadium outside New York City.
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