WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Friday announced that the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw will take place on 5 December at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, marking the first major event of the expanded tournament co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Speaking at the Oval Office on Friday, Trump was joined by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, Vice President JD Vance and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
With the World Cup trophy on display at the Resolute Desk, Trump said it was “a tremendous honour” to bring the opening event of the tournament to “the cultural centre of our nation’s capital”.
Infantino praised the decision, telling Trump: “We are uniting the world here in America, and we are very proud of that,” before handing him the trophy.
The FIFA chief also presented the president with the first ticket to the World Cup final, with ticket sales due to open on 10 September.
Trump’s announcement came as his administration oversees a $257 million renovation of the Kennedy Center, which he has described as central to the celebrations of the 250th anniversary of US independence in 2026.
He has said the World Cup draw would give the centrepiece of American performing arts a global stage, joking that the venue may one day be known as the “Trump Kennedy Center”.
Largest World Cup in history
The 2026 edition of the World Cup will be the first to feature 48 teams and 104 matches. Canada and Mexico will host 13 games each, with fixtures in Toronto, Vancouver, Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey. The remaining matches will take place in 11 US cities, though Washington itself will not host any games.
Instead, the draw will serve as the capital’s main involvement in the tournament, which FIFA has called the “largest and most complex set of events in sports history”.
Trump has cast the Kennedy Center as a symbol of his efforts to reshape Washington’s cultural institutions.
