It will be a FIFA World Cup 2026 draw like never before in Washington on Friday, as sports, showbiz and politics come together under Donald Trump’s shadow.
The Friday’s FIFA World Cup 2026 draw in Washington on Friday is set to be a riveting affair as US President Donald Trump will be in attendance, besides some of American sports’ biggest names. Trump’s favourite campaign anthem, “Y.M.C.A.,” will also be performed by the original American disco group Village People at the Kennedy Center.
The draw will be held to determine the group stage matches for the 48-team World Cup. The FIFA World Cup has been expanded from the 32-team format and the 2026 mega event will be the first tournament to have 48 teams.
A World Cup draw like never before
The draw will be made for 12 groups. Each group will comprise four teams. The top teams from each group and the eight best third-place teams will progress to the knockout stage.
42 teams have already qualified for the 2026 World Cup, while 22 teams are
still in contention for the remaining six spots.
Reuters has confirmed that some of the biggest sporting names in the US outside of football – American football legend Tom Brady, basketball great Shaquille O’Neal, hockey star Wayne Gretzky and current All-Star baseball player Aaron Judge – will assist with the draw.
Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand will conduct the draw and the co-conductor is broadcaster Samantha Johnson.
A legendary multi-sport line-up at the Final Draw for the FIFA World Cup 2026 🙌
Read more about who will be conducting and assisting the draw on Friday, 5 December 2025👇
— FIFA (@FIFAcom) December 3, 2025
Tom Brady, Shaquille O’Neal, Wayne Gretzky and Aaron Judge will serve as assistants. The four have been assigned one pot each.
“Being part of the final draw for the FIFA World Cup is an incredible honour — it’s the kind of global stage every athlete dreams of,” Brady, who won seven Super Bowls, said in the news release. “I’m excited to help set the path for a tournament that brings the world together like nothing else.”
Star-studded World Cup draw blends sport, showbiz and politics
As far as stage performances are concerned, Village People will perform the “Y.M.C.A.” song, which became a popular campaign anthem for Trump. The US president would also be attending the event.
The draw would also be graced by supermodel Heidi Klum, comedian Kevin Hart and actor Danny Ramirez as co-hosts.
Classical singer Andrea Bocelli will be performing at the event besides a duet with British pop star Robbie Williams and American singer Nicole Scherzinger.
FIFA will also award its
first annual Peace Prize during the draw event, and US President Trump is the favourite to receive it — the latest move by the global football body to appease the politician after he missed out on the Nobel Peace Prize.
The World Cup will be held across the United States, Canada and Mexico from 11 June to 19 July 2026. A total of 16 venues will host matches – 11 in the US, three in Mexico and two in Canada.
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