US President Donald Trump stole the spotlight at the 2026 World Cup draw ceremony held at Washington's Kennedy Center, where he received a specially created FIFA Peace Prize. Leaders from Mexico and Canada attended amid diplomatic tensions, but football provided a temporary truce. Spain was drawn into a favorable group with Cabo Verde, Saudi Arabia, and Uruguay.
The 2026 World Cup draw ceremony, hosted jointly by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, took place on December 5, 2025, at Washington's Kennedy Center amid heavy snow. The event, which formed the 12 groups for the 48 participating teams, opened with Andrea Bocelli performing Nessun Dorma, followed by acts from Robbie Williams, Nicole Scherzinger, Lauryn Hill, and closed with Village People singing YMCA, Trump's favorite song.
US President Donald Trump, accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump, received the FIFA Peace Prize from Gianni Infantino, an award created to please the US leader after he failed to win the Nobel Peace Prize, awarded to María Corina Machado. In his speech, Trump stated: “This is one of the greatest honors of my life. We have saved thousands and thousands of lives. We have ended so many wars in so many places. The World Cup is going to be something incredible. We have worked shoulder to shoulder, the three countries, to coordinate it. And I want to say that our relationship is extraordinary”.
Co-host leaders Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico and Mark Carney of Canada attended despite tensions over tariff threats, military interventions, and annexation talks. They held a 10-minute meeting after the draw. Carney said: “It's going to be the best deal in history”. Sheinbaum described Mexico as “extraordinary, beautiful, magical”, a “extraordinary, hardworking people who have played the ball game since ancestral times”.
Spain, a favorite alongside Argentina, Brazil, France, and England, was placed in Group H with Cabo Verde, Saudi Arabia, and Uruguay. Trump praised the team: “I am a big fan of Spain. I love the country. Spain is certainly one of the favorites, they are a great team, they have always been a great team. I would say Spain has a very good chance”.
The tournament will start on June 11, 2026, with Mexico versus South Africa at Estadio Azteca, featuring 104 matches and a 2 billion audience. The venue and schedule draw is set for Saturday. Figures like Tom Brady, Shaquille O'Neal, Wayne Gretzky, and Aaron Judge drew the balls, with presenters including Heidi Klum and Kevin Hart.
