On Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, the iconic FIFA World Cup trophy touched down in Washington, D.C., making its way to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts ahead of Friday's draw ceremony for 2026's epic tournament across Canada, the United States and Mexico. 🏆
The event promises a star-studded lineup. Former England captain Rio Ferdinand will team up with award-winning broadcaster Samantha Johnson to lead the historic 48-team draw. Joining the party are sports legends Tom Brady 🏈, Wayne Gretzky 🏒, Shaquille O'Neal 🏀 and Aaron Judge ⚾️, with two-time Super Bowl champ Eli Manning as the red carpet host. 🎤
So far, 42 of the 48 spots are locked in:
- Pot 1: Canada, Mexico, USA, Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium & Germany.
- Pot 2: Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, Iran, Republic of Korea, Ecuador, Austria & Australia.
- Pot 3: Norway, Panama, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Cote d'Ivoire, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia & South Africa.
- Pot 4: Jordan, Cabo Verde, Ghana, Curacao, Haiti, New Zealand + 6 placeholders from the play-offs.
Tomorrow's draw will split the 48 teams into 12 groups. These giants of soccer will then light up 16 host cities—from Montreal to Miami, Mexico City to Los Angeles—between June 11 and July 19, 2026. Get ready for the countdown to kickoff! 🌍⚽️
Reference(s):
FIFA World Cup trophy reaches Washington, D.C., ahead of draw ceremony
cgtn.com
