United States President Donald Trump said on Friday that the 2026 World Cup draw will be held on December 5 at the Kennedy Center in Washington.
The announcement about the process that will define the games of the group phases was made in the Oval Hall of the White House, with the presence of FIFA President Gianni Infantino. This is at least the seventh meeting between the American and the leader this year.
The decision to make the draw at Kennedy Center is a trump gesture to honor the American capital, which is not among the host cities of the championship. This occurs while Trump tries to make changes in the cultural institution and promotes federal interference in Washington security.
In May, the US president fired the head of the Kennedy Center and declared the head of the center.
This Friday, while announcing the draw, Trump again threatened to take full control of Washington. “It is better for Mayor Bowser to put their actions in order, or it will not be mayor for long, because we will assume with the federal government. We will manage how it should be administered,” he said.
The World Cup will be based by United States, Canada and Mexico next year. The 2026 edition will be the first with 48 teams – 32 until Qatar edition in 2022.
Infantino took the World Cup to the Oval Hall and handed it to Trump to hold. The US President joked, asking if he could keep the prize, but Infantino said he would have to deliver him to the next World Cup winner.
The FIFA leader also gave Trump the first ticket of next year’s tournament final. Infantino stressed that the expectation is to receive around 6.5 million fans during the competition. In the Club Cup, there were 2.5 million.
“It’s not just a sporting, but social event,” he said.
In all, there will be 104 matches played in 16 cities in the three host countries, with the teams divided into 12 groups with four teams each. The first two of each key and the top eight third parties advance in phase, with the 32 selections to face each other in knockout matches.
“We must draw the 21st century World Cup. Football is not limited to Europe and Latin America,” Infantine said in 2017, when FIFA announced the expansion in the number of teams.
FIFA (International Football Federation) has announced that the period of registration for fans interested in participating in the World Cup tickets in 2026.
The first day for registration on the entity’s website will be September 10, when fans will be able to request a chance to buy tickets.
