Kennedy Center to host 2026 World Cup draw (Reuters)
US President Donald Trump on Friday (local time) announced the draw for the 2026 FIFA men’s World Cup, which will take place at the Kennedy Centre in Washington, DC, on December 5, as per ESPN.
The 2026 competition will be the first World Cup held across three countries–the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and the first to include 48 teams. It will take place from June 11 to July 19.
Sixteen venues have already been chosen to host games, with 11 in the US, three in Mexico and two in Canada.
The cities officially selected to host World Cup matches in the U.S. are: New York/New Jersey (MetLife Stadium); Los Angeles (SoFi Stadium); Dallas (AT&T Stadium); San Francisco Bay Area (Levi’s Stadium); Miami (Hard Rock Stadium); Atlanta (Mercedes-Benz Stadium); Seattle (Lumen Field); Houston (NRG Stadium); Philadelphia (Lincoln Financial Field); Kansas City, Missouri (Arrowhead Stadium); and Boston (Gillette Stadium).
Gianni Infantino, the head of FIFA, stated that the draw will occur at noon ET when Trump made the statement from the Oval Office on Friday.
The 48 teams that have qualified will be divided into 12 groups of four during the draw. The eight best third-place teams and the top two teams from each group will proceed to the knockout round.
Ten teams, including the three host countries, have already qualified for the 2026 competition: Japan, New Zealand, Iran, Argentina, Uzbekistan, South Korea, Jordan, Australia, Brazil, and Ecuador.
With inputs from ANI
Shivam Verma is a journalist with over three years of experience in digital newsrooms. He currently works at NewsX, having previously worked for Firstpost and DNA India. A postgraduate diploma holder in Integrated Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, Shivam focuses on international affairs, diplomacy, defence, and politics. Beyond the newsroom, he is passionate about football—both playing and watching—and enjoys travelling to explore new places and cuisines.
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