Kennedy Center to host World Cup draw on Dec. 5

Field Level Media|published: 08/22/2025, 2:22pm EDT

Jul 13, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; U.S. President Donald Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino on stage during the final of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The 2026 FIFA World Cup draw will take place on Dec. 5 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Friday.

"It's a tremendous honor to bring the global event and this incredible group of people and these unbelievable athletes -- the best athletes in the world -- to the cultural center of our nation's capital," Trump said.

Trump made the announcement at the Oval Office alongside FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

"The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the largest, most complex set of events in sports history," Trump said. "And the Kennedy Center will give it a phenomenal kickoff and will be involved."

The expanded 48-team World Cup is being hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, 2026. Matches will be played at 16 venues, including three in Mexico and two in Canada.

The draw will sort the teams into 12 groups of four. The top two teams from each group and the eight best third-place teams will advance to the knockout stage.

In addition to the three host nations, 10 other teams have already punched their tickets for the 2026 competition: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Ecuador, Iran, Japan, Jordan, New Zealand, South Korea and Uzbekistan.

--Field Level Media