Trump announces that the 2026 World Cup draw will be held at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC in December
“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,” said President Donald Trump.
President Donald Trump holds the FIFA trophy in the Oval Room.
President Donald Trump, accompanied by Vice President JD Vance, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, special envoy Richard Grenell, who also serves as acting executive director of the Kennedy Center, and FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced Friday that the draw for the FIFA Men's World Cup 2026 will take place on December 5at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.
“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,” the Republican noted.
President @realDonaldTrump announces that on December 5th of this year, the FIFA 2026 World Cup draw will take place at the Kennedy Center. pic.twitter.com/qTb0hvcHsr
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) August 22, 2025
About the Kennedy Center
In addition, the president visited the Kennedy Center and met with contractors to review work he said was needed at the venue. Trump assured that by the time the draw takes place in December, the facility would be in better condition. He also hinted at a potential name change: “Some people refer to it as the Trump Kennedy Center, but we’re not prepared to do it right now. Maybe in a week or so,” he said.
The soccer event
The event, marking the official start of the countdown to the tournament, will take place at 12:00 noon Eastern Time, Infantino confirmed.
The 2026 World Cup, scheduled from June 11 to July 19, will be the first to be hosted by three nations— the United States, Canada, and Mexico— and the first to feature 48 teams.
In this expanded format, the 48 teams will be divided into 12 groups of four, with the top two from each group and the eight best third-placed teams advancing to the knockout stage.
Venues confirmed
FIFA has selected 16 cities to host the tournament matches.
- In the United States, the host cities and stadiums are: New York/New Jersey (MetLife Stadium), Los Angeles (SoFi Stadium), Dallas (AT&T Stadium), San Francisco Bay Area (Levi’s Stadium), Miami (Hard Rock Stadium), Atlanta (Mercedes-Benz Stadium), Seattle (Lumen Field), Houston (NRG Stadium), Philadelphia (Lincoln Financial Field), Kansas City, Missouri (Arrowhead Stadium) and Boston (Gillette Stadium).In Mexico, the venues will be Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey.In Canada, the matches will be held in Toronto and Vancouver.
Qualifying teams
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