by The draw for the 2026 male World Cup will be held at Kennedy Center in Washington, DC on December 5, President Donald Trump said on Friday. Trump announced the news of the Oval Office, the president of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, by his side.
In April, athletics reported that Las Vegas was in the running to host the event, but that Washington, DC, was also in consideration. At the time, Athletic noted that DC could be chosen to facilitate the participation of “President Donald Trump for President Donald Trump”.
Advertisement
Trump did not confirm on Friday that he would play a role in the draw, but he referred to the possibility, according to athletics.
“The Kennedy Center will give it a phenomenal kick -off,” said Trump at the Friday’s press conference, “and we will be involved.”
In addition to infantino and Trump, vice-president JD Vance and internal security secretary Kristi Noem were also present for the announcement.
During the event, Infantino and Trump exchanged jokes, Trump asking if he could keep the World Cup trophy, according to athletics.
The World Cup trophy was held on a desk in front of them, next to Trump. At one point, Infantino picked it up, gave it to Trump and said: “It is for the winners only. And since you are a winner, of course, you can also (touch).”
Trump smiled, held the trophy, posed for photos and asked, “Can I keep it?”
The Kennedy Center is an art center in the show in Washington, DC, the building bears the name of former American president John F. Kennedy. It contains a concert hall, an opera, a theater and many other amenities.
Advertisement
The drawing of the World Cup determines the three opponents in the group phase that all the qualified teams will face the event. While the draw would take place in December, the 2026 World Cup will not start until months later, on July 11, 2026.
The last time the male World Cup took place in the United States was back in 1994. The draw for this event took place in Las Vegas. Brazil beat Italy to win all that year.
While Washington, DC will host the draw for the 2026 male World Cup, the city is not among the host cities of the event. In total, 16 cities have this honor. These 16 cities are distributed in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Eleven of these 16 host cities are located in the United States.
This story will be updated.
