FIFA Awards 2026 World Cup Draw to Washington, D.C. in December

The 2026 FIFA World Cup draw is heading to Washington, D.C., FIFA President Gianni Infantino and U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Friday.

Each of the 48 teams qualified for the tournament will be divided into 12 groups, defining their pathways at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on Dec. 5.

“It’s a tremendous honor to bring this global event and this incredible group of people and these unbelievable athletes – the best athletes in the world – to the cultural center of our nation's capital,“ Trump said. “The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the largest, most complex set of events in sports history. And the Kennedy Center will give it a phenomenal kickoff and will be involved.“

At the time of the announcement, only 13 teams had officially punched their ticket to the tournament, with co-hosting nations the United States, Canada and Mexico joined by defending champions Argentina, as well as Australia, Brazil, Ecuador, Iran, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and debutants Uzbekistan and Jordan.

A total of 42 teams will have qualified ahead of the draw, with international windows and World Cup qualifying games happening across September, October and November. The remaining six will be determined through intercontinental playoff systems ahead of the tournament, but will be placed as unknown teams in the draw.

“We are excited to host the most anticipated Final Draw for the FIFA World Cup in history in the cultural and entertainment heart of the United States, the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C.,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a news release.

“The draw is a major tournament milestone and one that will continue the remarkable build-up to the biggest sporting event ever, as we get set for many landmark FIFA events across North America throughout 2026.”

Previously, reports suggested that the World Cup draw would head to Las Vegas, the same city which hosted the 1994 FIFA World Cup draw, the only previous time the men’s tournament has been played in the U.S.

When is the FIFA World Cup Draw?

While further details of the whole process are still to be announced, the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw will commence at 12 p.m. ET (9 a.m. PT) on Dec. 5, with the host nations placed in Pot A as seeded teams.

The results of the draw will determine the schedule for the tournament, with teams already announced across the 16 host cities in the three countries, opening with the first match on June 11 between Mexico and an unknown opponent at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.