The prelude to the world’s greatest sporting spectacle is kicking off in the city of the world’s greatest political showman. This Friday, the draw for the 2026 World Cup will take place to set up the 12 groups in which the 48 national teams — the largest number of teams ever to compete in a final phase — will be placed. A total of 104 matches will be played in just 40 days. The soccer tournament is poised to become the biggest showcase of football in the world’s largest advertising market, with an estimated seven million spectators expected to attend the matches. The championship is jointly organized by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. But U.S. President Donald Trump aspires to become the true star of the event off the pitch, thanks to his volatile and theatrical nature, controversial policies, and strained relations with Mexico and Canada.
Although Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced this week that she will attend the draw, she has made it clear that it will be a brief appearance. She is trying to minimize contact with Trump. The relationship between the two leaders, who hold very different political views, has been bumpy. Trump also has a tense relationship with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, after he threatened a few months ago to annex the country. Incidentally, Canada is the only G7 country, with which the United States has not signed a trade agreement on tariffs.
Trump appears excited about the soccer tournament. He has repeatedly stated that he will personally get involved to ensure the championship is a success. And in this case, he is certainly keeping his word. Immediately after winning last year’s presidential election, Trump ordered the creation of a task force, involving his top cabinet members, to coordinate security and logistics for the World Cup. Andrew Giuliani, the White House’s World Cup representative, said Wednesday that the effort has grown into “the largest whole-of-government sporting event operation ever undertaken in the United States.”
The draw will divide the 48 participating teams into 12 groups of four. The 32 best first-place finishers and runners-up from each group, as well as eight of the best third-place finishers, will advance to the next round. To determine the groups, four pots of 12 teams each have been created, from which the names of the national teams will be drawn.
The process has some peculiarities. The three host countries will be in Pot 1, which, in theory, keeps them from ending up in an easier group. Furthermore, the top four teams in the FIFA rankings — Spain, Argentina, France, and England — cannot face each other until at least the semifinals.
There are still four spots to be filled in the final qualifying rounds for the countries that will have to compete in the playoffs. Among them are Italy, Sweden, Poland, Turkey, and Denmark, among others.
The first game will be played on June 11 at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City and the final will be played at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, a few miles from New York.
Andrew Giuliani, son of the former New York mayor and Trump’s lawyer, added: “The 2026 World Cup will also help us celebrate the United States’s 250th anniversary on July 4th, 2026. There will be a game in Philadelphia, where the Declaration was signed on July 4th in 1776.” During his remarks explaining the security efforts and procedures to expedite visa processing for the seven million visitors expected to attend the World Cup, he remarked: “Could you actually imagine if the United States and England played on July 4th in 2026 in Philadelphia? […] Let’s see if that actually happens. I hope England doesn’t seek revenge on us 250 years later on the pitch.” But this official did not rule out the possibility of raids and arrests taking place around the stadiums during the matches, fueling the fear among thousands of fans of the mass roundups and deportations approved by the Trump administration.
The World Cup is also marked by Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s close relationship. The U.S. president invited the Swiss official to his presidential inauguration. The day before, at a Republican rally, he mentioned Infantino five times to thank him and praise their friendship. Trump has invited him to the White House on numerous occasions and calls on him to accompany him on official trips to Middle Eastern countries. The New York billionaire has offered Infantino every assistance in hosting the tournament in the United States, but some of his decisions have led to controversy.
During the draw, FIFA will award the FIFA Peace Prize, an award created by Infantino after witnessing Trump’s disappointment at not receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, which this year was awarded to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado. Trump had longed for this recognition, as he publicly stated on several occasions. Although the winner of the FIFA prize is not yet officially known, everyone believes Trump will be the recipient.
The ceremony will take place at the Kennedy Center, located on the banks of the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. It is a performing arts center that staged operas and plays before Donald Trump’s return to the White House. After the Republican took office, however, he ordered a change in the center’s management, replacing it with loyalists. The decision to host the draw at the Kennedy Center is mired in controversy and accusations of corruption, as it offered FIFA the use of its facilities free of charge.
According to the organizers, the draw ceremony is conceived as a world-class spectacle. It will be hosted by former footballer Rio Ferdinand and broadcaster Samantha Johnson. There will be performances by Italian singer Andrea Bocelli; pop star Robbie Williams; and U.S. performer Nicole Scherzinger. But the standout act will be the legendary U.S. group Village People, who will close the event with their hit song Y.M.C.A. — a favorite of Trump’s, often used at his rallies and events with MAGA supporters.
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