Donald Trump is unlikely to shy away from the biggest FIFA World Cup ever.
With 78 of the 104 matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup taking place in the US, the 47th President of the United States is expected to make multiple appearances during the tournament.
It is almost certain that Trump will attend the 2026 World Cup final in New Jersey on July 19. Let’s hope he doesn’t try to hijack the trophy lift like he did after Chelsea won the Club World Cup earlier this year.
The 2026 World Cup starts on June 14. But first the draw for the 2026 World Cup must come.
When will the draw for the 2026 World Cup take place?
The draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup will take place on Friday 5 December 2025 from 5pm UK time.
The date and time were confirmed in an Oval Office announcement in August 2025, where FIFA president Gianni Infantino said the ceremony would attract a large global audience. The draw determines the twelve groups of four teams for the extensive tournament with 48 countries.
The majority of the qualifying tournaments will be announced in early December, while the remaining places will be decided in early 2026 through play-offs between the confederations.
England have already qualified and were recently given a 12.5% chance of winning the 2026 World Cup. Meanwhile, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland still have a chance to join them. If all four make it to North America, it will be the most British World Cup since 1958.
Where will the draw for the 2026 World Cup take place?
The drawing will take place at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC.
Las Vegas was widely tipped after hosting the 1994 draw, but Washington DC was ultimately selected. The Kennedy Center recently underwent a major renovation and will serve as a key base for FIFA’s U.S. operations leading up to 2026.
Although Washington itself is not a host city, the location provides a high-profile setting for a globally televised ceremony.
Will Donald Trump attend the 2026 World Cup draw?
Yes. Donald Trump is expected to attend in person and has hinted that he may play a visible role during the presentation.
At the announcement in August, Trump stood next to Infantino, described the World Cup as “probably the biggest sporting event” and briefly accepted the trophy.
Asked about attending the ceremony, he confirmed no details but gave no indication he would stay away. Given his involvement to date and the location, his presence is considered very likely.
Donald Trump pictured (center) posing for a photo with FIFA President Gianni Infantino and match officials after the 2025 Club World Cup final
How will the draw for the 2026 World Cup work?
The 48 teams are divided into twelve groups of four based on the FIFA world rankings. There will be four seeded pots, with co-hosts USA, Canada and Mexico placed in Pot 1 alongside the nine highest-ranked countries.
Confederation rules will apply, meaning no two teams from the same region can be drawn together unless they are from UEFA, which has more qualifiers than available groups. European countries can be linked together, but no more than two countries will be placed in the same group.
FIFA will also allocate group stage matches to the Eastern, Central and Western regions to minimize travel for fans and teams.
After the group stage, the top two countries from each group automatically qualify for the knockout rounds, where they are joined by the eight best third-placed teams. The new format will lead to a round of 32, followed by standard single-leg knockout matches with extra time and penalties where necessary.
What has Donald Trump said about the 2026 World Cup?
Trump has repeatedly made public comments about the organization of the tournament, including the location of the matches and the size of the draw.
When asked about Boston, he recently said, “We can take them. I love the people of Boston. I know the games are sold out, but your mayor is no good.”
Referring to Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, he added: “She is intelligent… but she is radical left.”
On whether matches could be moved, Trump said he would speak to FIFA’s president: “If I feel like there are unsafe conditions, I would call Gianni – the phenomenal head of FIFA – and say, ‘let’s move it to another location,’ and he would do that.”
“He wouldn’t like to do it, but he would do it very easily.”
FIFA has not publicly endorsed these claims, and the US government does not have the authority to reassign host cities for the World Cup.
When Trump announced the draw alongside Infantino in August 2025, he also spoke about the magnitude of the event, saying: “It’s the biggest, probably the biggest event in sports.”
When presented with the World Cup trophy at the same event, he joked: “Can I keep it?”
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