The draw for the 2026 World Cup, set to be the largest edition of football’s global showcase, will take place in Washington on Friday, with US President Donald Trump expected to play a prominent role in the proceedings.
The expanded 48-team tournament, up from the 32-nation field that participated in the 2022 Qatar World Cup, will be held across the United States, Mexico, and Canada from 11 June to 19 July next year.
Trump’s presence at the Kennedy Centre ceremony highlights his close relationship with FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who has visited the White House multiple times and accompanied Trump at international summits since the joint North American bid was awarded the tournament in 2018.
Infantino’s rapport with Trump is anticipated to result in the US leader being named the first recipient of a new FIFA Peace Prize, which will be presented at the draw.
Trump has made the World Cup a flagship event for both his second presidency and the celebration of the 250th anniversary of US independence next year.
However, he has not shied away from intertwining domestic politics with the event, threatening to relocate World Cup matches from Democratic-led cities if he considers conditions to be “unsafe.”
In a reflection of the global tensions surrounding a World Cup that will feature 11 of its 16 venues in the United States, Iran announced it would boycott the draw due to US authorities denying visas to several members of its delegation.
The president of the Iranian football federation, Mehdi Taj, stated, “We have informed FIFA’s leadership that this is purely a political stance, and FIFA must communicate with Washington to cease this behaviour.”
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