New Delhi: US President Donald Trump announced that the Kennedy Center in Washington will host the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw in December. Earlier reports suggested the draw is expected to be held in Las Vegas, the city that hosted the last draw in 1994.
However, the draw will be hosted at the Kennedy Center on December 5. “The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the largest, most complex set of events in sports history, and the Kennedy Center will give it a phenomenal kickoff,” Trump said during an announcement.
According to the US president, the 2026 World Cup will bring $30 billion into the US economy and create 185,000 jobs for Americans in a short period of time. He further added that FIFA expects more than 6 million fans will travel to North American cities for the tournament next year, while more than 6 billion will watch from home.
The US President also justified his administration’s 30-day federal takeover of Washington’s police force. He said that the event’s draw will now take place in a very safe capital, where visitors won’t have to worry about walking down the street.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino visited the Oval Office and let Trump hold the World Cup, saying that only the FIFA presidents, presidents of countries, and those who win can touch it because it’s for winners only. And, since you are a winner, of course, you can as well,” Infantino said.
Trump held the trophy in his hands and said that the trophy is pretty heavy, and called it a beautiful piece of gold. He also joked about keeping the trophy in his office. The US President was presented with a ticket to next year’s mega event, which organisers said was the first ticket available for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
13 teams qualified for 2026 FIFA World Cup
As of August 23, only 13 teams have qualified for next year’s FIFA World Cup. The co-hosts USA, Mexico and Canada, have already been placed in Groups A, B and D, respectively. The tournament’s final is scheduled to be played at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on 19 July 2026.
The other qualified teams are: Australia, IR Iran, Uzbekistan, Jordan, Korea Republic, Japan, Argentina, Ecuador, Brazil and New Zealand.