President Donald Trump announced Friday that the Kennedy Center will host the 2026 World Cup draw in December, after making an unexpected visit to the center in the morning.
“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.
The draw will see the 48 teams divided into 12 groups of four and there will be 104 matches - 104 Super Bowls. The top two teams from each group and the eight best third-place teams will advance to the knockout stages.
The makeup of each group is of great interest to soccer fans around the world, making the draw a significant event. How teams fare in group stage play impacts how they advance in the tournament.
The more formidable the group, the more difficult the path. The draw also determines the cities and, in this case, the countries each team and their fans will visit during the group stage.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino joined Trump in the Oval Office and presented him with the winner’s trophy, telling him that very few people are allowed to touch it.
“It’s for winners only,” he said. “And since you’re a winner, of course, you can as well touch it.”
“That is a beautiful piece of gold,” Trump said, after jokingly asking if he could keep it. Infantino also presented Trump with an oversize match ticket — Row 1 Seat 1 .
In the event at the Oval Office, Trump added that millions visiting the United States next year should have a “very easy time” getting in, and suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin may visit the United States for the sporting event.
