2026 FIFA WC draw in Washington on Dec 5: Trump

KABUL (Pajhwok): US President Donald Trump announced the draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup would be held in Washington on December 5 this year.

The draw for the 48-team football championship will be held at the Kennedy Center in the US capital, where Trump recently installed himself as chairman in what he called a war on “woke” culture, Agence France Press (AFP) reported.

“It’s the biggest, probably the biggest event in sports,” Trump, flanked by FIFA chief Gianni Infantino, said as he made the announcement in the Oval Office of the White House.

The 2026 World Cup is being hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico next year, and Trump has made a big deal about it happening during his presidency.

Infantino, who has fostered close ties with the billionaire US president, brought the World Cup with him for the announcement and even let Trump get his hands on it.

“Only the FIFA president, presidents of countries, and then those who win can touch it, because it’s for winners only. And since you are a winner, of course you can as well touch it,” Infantino said.

“Can I keep it?” replied Trump, who won a second term in the White House last year, as he lifted the trophy with both hands. “That’s a beautiful piece of gold.”

Trump appeared to be joking — although the separate FIFA Club World Cup trophy remains in the Oval Office more than a month after English side Chelsea won it in New Jersey last month.

Trump also suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin may attend the World Cup.

Holding up a photo that he said Putin had sent him after their summit in Alaska last week, Trump said the Kremlin chief “wants to be there very badly,” but that he “may be coming and he may not” depending on the outcome of Ukraine peace efforts.

The United States was named as a joint host of the 2026 World Cup during Trump’s first term as president in 2018. He lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden but won a second term last year.

Canada will host 13 games, 10 of them in the group stage, split between Toronto and Vancouver. Mexico will also host 13 matches, including 10 group stage fixtures in Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey.

According to reports, the remaining matches will be played in 11 US cities, and FIFA has already begun preparations for the tournament by opening field offices in Miami and Trump Tower in New York.

Argentina are the defending champions.

kk/ma