48-team FIFA World Cup to take place in Canada, Mexico, and the United States
Islamabad (Sports Report): On Friday, 5 December 2025, the world will discover the group-stage matches to be contested at the FIFA World Cup 26™, with all eyes set to converge on the Kennedy Center in Washington DC for the final draw.
As announced by the President of the United States and Chairman of the Kennedy Center, Donald J. Trump, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino at the White House, the Kennedy Center will serve as the location for team officials, ambassadors, fans representing the tournament’s Host Cities and global media representatives, amongst others, to unite, as one of the major milestones on the path to the biggest and most engaging FIFA World Cup™ ever is held.
The Kennedy Center is America’s national cultural centre and a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy, attracting millions of visitors each year to more than 2,000 performances, events and exhibits. In December, the iconic FIFA World Cup Trophy will shine brightly at the venue as the world’s best national teams discover their next steps on the path to lifting the coveted crown at New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday, 19 July next year.
In a groundbreaking initiative for the Final Draw for the FIFA World Cup, fans from each of the 16 Host Cities (two in Canada, three in Mexico and 11 in the United States) will be able to participate in a special lottery for the chance to win complimentary admission to the once-in-a-lifetime event, including a VIP experience. A select number of admissions will be allocated to each Host City, with the lottery procedures to be announced in due course.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said: “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 DC. 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. We look forward to welcoming the team delegations, our partners, global media, and, uniquely, fans representing each of the 16 wonderful Host Cities, to the capital of the United States for this significant occasion.”
The draw will commence at 12:00 local time (18:00 CET) and will be beamed to the three host countries and around the globe by FIFA’s Media Partners. Further details of the draw, including broadcast information and the full draw procedures, will be published on FIFA.com in due course. The teams representing the host countries will be assigned to positions A1 (Mexico), B1 (Canada) and D1 (USA), as per the match schedule released last year.
