Donald Trump is unlikely to shy away from the biggest ever FIFA World Cup.
With 78 of the 104 matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup taking place in the USA, the 47th president of the United States is expected to make multiple appearances throughout the tournament.
Trump is almost certain to attend the 2026 World Cup final in New Jersey on July 19. Let’s just hope he doesn’t try to hijack the trophy lift like he did after Chelsea won the Club World Cup earlier this year.
The 2026 World Cup is due to begin on June 14. But first must come the 2026 World Cup draw.
When will the 2026 World Cup draw be made?
The 2026 FIFA World Cup draw will take place on Friday, December 5, 2025, starting at 5pm UK time.
The date and time were confirmed in August 2025 during an announcement from the Oval Office, where FIFA president Gianni Infantino said the ceremony would attract a vast global audience. The draw will set the 12 groups of four teams for the expanded 48-nation tournament.
By early December the majority of qualifiers will be known, with the remaining places decided via inter-confederation play-offs in early 2026.
England have already qualified and were recently given a 12.5% probability of winning the 2026 World Cup. Meanwhile, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland still have a chance of joining them. If all four make it to North America then it will be the most British World Cup since 1958.
Where is the 2026 World Cup draw being held?
The draw will be staged at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC.
Las Vegas had been widely tipped after hosting the 1994 draw, but Washington DC was ultimately selected. The Kennedy Center has recently undergone a major renovation and will serve as a key base for FIFA’s US operations in the build-up to 2026.
Although Washington itself is not a host city, the venue offers a high-profile setting for a globally televised ceremony.
Will Donald Trump attend the 2026 World Cup draw ceremony?
Yes. Donald Trump is expected to attend in person and has hinted he may play a visible role during the presentation.
At the August announcement, Trump stood alongside Infantino, described the World Cup as “probably the biggest event in sports”, and briefly handled the trophy.
Asked about taking part in the ceremony, he did not confirm specifics but gave no indication he would stay away. Given his involvement to date and the location, his attendance is considered highly likely.
Donald Trump pictured (centre) posing for a photo with FIFA president Gianni Infantino and the match officials after the 2025 Club World Cup final
How will the 2026 World Cup draw work?
The 48 teams will be drawn into 12 groups of four based on FIFA’s world rankings. There will be four seeded pots, with co-hosts USA, Canada and Mexico placed in Pot 1 alongside the nine highest-ranked nations.
Confederation rules will apply, meaning no two teams from the same region can be drawn together unless they are from UEFA, which has more qualifiers than available groups. European nations can be paired but no more than two will be placed in the same group.
FIFA will also assign group-stage fixtures across east, central and west regions to minimise travel for fans and teams.
After the group stage, the top two nations from each group will qualify automatically for the knockout rounds, where they will be joined by the eight best third-placed teams. The new format will lead into a round of 32, followed by standard single-leg knockout ties with extra time and penalties where needed.
What has Donald Trump said about the 2026 World Cup?
Trump has repeatedly made public remarks about the tournament’s organisation, including the location of matches and the scale of the draw.
When asked about Boston, he recently said: “We can take them away. I love the people of Boston. I know the games are sold out, but your mayor is not good.”
Referring to Boston mayor Michelle Wu, he added: “She’s intelligent… but she’s radical left.”
On whether matches could be moved, Trump said he would speak to FIFA’s president: “If I feel there’s unsafe conditions, I would call Gianni — the head of FIFA, who’s phenomenal — and I would say, ‘let’s move it to another location,’ and he would do that.”
“He wouldn’t love to do it, but he’d do it very easily.”
FIFA has not publicly endorsed those claims, and the US government does not have authority to reassign World Cup host cities.
When announcing the draw alongside Infantino in August 2025, Trump also talked up the magnitude of the event, saying: “It’s the biggest, probably the biggest event in sports.”
At the same event, when handed the World Cup trophy, he joked: “Can I keep it?”
