Washington (EFE).- U.S. President Donald Trump announced this Friday that the draw for the group stage of the 2026 World Cup will be held on
December 5 at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C.
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The announcement was made in the Oval Office of the White House, accompanied by the FIFA president,
Gianni Infantino, as well as members of his Government, including Vice President
JD Vance and Secretary of Homeland Security,
Kristi Noem.
The tournament, which will be held in
16 cities in the United States, Canada, and Mexico between June 11 and July 19, 2026, will feature
48 participating teams, expanding the format of previous editions by 16 teams.
“It is a great honor to bring this world event and these incredible athletes to the cultural center of our nation’s capital,” Trump expressed, highlighting the magnitude of the event and the symbolic value of celebrating it in an iconic space like the Kennedy Center.
Trump’s Visit to the Kennedy Center
Prior to the announcement, Trump toured the venue to oversee the ongoing refurbishment work. The president assured that the World Cup event will represent “the largest and most complex set of events in the history of sport” and compared it to organizing “several Super Bowls in a short time.”
Infantino hands the World Cup to Trump
During the event, Infantino presented the
World Cup trophy to the American president, pointing out that “only the winners” can touch it, mentioning Trump himself and
Lionel Messi, the last champion with Argentina in Qatar 2022.
Trump, laughing, asked if he could keep the trophy and suggested he would keep it in the Oval Office until the start of the championship, as happened this summer with the Club World Cup played in the United States.
The 2026 World Cup will mark the first edition with three host countries and the return of the tournament to North America after the one held in the United States in 1994.
