On Friday, President Trump revealed that the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw will occur at the Kennedy Center.
The event is scheduled for December 5th, as announced by Trump in the Oval Office, accompanied by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, Homeland Security Secretary Christie Noem, Vice President Vance, and Rick Grenell, the executive director of the Kennedy Center.
“This draw sets the group stage for the competition,” Trump stated, highlighting that the tournament will host 48 teams competing in over 104 matches across 16 cities in North America.
He referred to the World Cup as “the biggest event in the sport.”
Trump expressed pride in hosting such top-tier athletes, calling it “a great honor” to bring them to the national capital’s cultural hub.
Earlier that day, the president visited the Kennedy Center to meet with contractors about necessary improvements. He asserted that the venue would be in better form by the time of the draw in December.
“By then, it’s going to be even better; we’re working on it,” Trump remarked regarding the preparations.
He also mentioned a potential name change for the facility to incorporate his name.
“Some people call it the Trump Kennedy Center, but we’re not ready for that yet, maybe in a week or so,” he added.
Infantino brought the World Cup trophy with him and presented it to Trump.
“It’s for the winners only, and you’re the winner, so you can touch it too,” Infantino noted.
Trump laughed, asking, “Can I keep it? We haven’t returned it.”
Infantino commented, “The biggest events in history will begin here at Washington, D.C., the Kennedy Center, or the Trump Kennedy Center.”
To oversee the World Cup preparations, Trump appointed Andrew Giuliani, the son of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and convened a task force meeting at the White House in May.
