WASHINGTON/ZURICH —- The draw for the finals of next year’s FIFA World Cup will be staged on Friday, December 5, at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC.

Confirmation was announced by President Donald Trump – who is also chairman of the Kennedy Center – FIFA president Gianni Infantino at the White House. It will serve as the location for team officials, ambassadors, fans representing the tournament’s Host Cities and global media representatives.

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.

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.

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.”

Host slots

The draw will commence at 12:00 local time (18:00 CET) when 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.

As well as the Final Draw for the FIFA World Cup 26 being staged in the US capital in December, the FIFA play-off tournament – a new event that will see six nations from five of the six confederations (with UEFA to hold a separate play-off competition for the final four European spots) compete for two places at the global extravaganza – will be hosted in North America in March next year.

On April 30, the 76th FIFA Congress will take place in Vancouver, Canada, as the countdown to the eagerly anticipated kick-off at the Estadio Azteca Mexico City on June 11 continues.

In addition to the three host countries, 10 nations have already qualified for next year’s FIFA World Cup: defending champions Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Ecuador, IR Iran, Japan, Jordan – who are set to make their tournament debut – Korea Republic, New Zealand and first-timers Uzbekistan.

In total, 42 of the 48 teams that will compete in Canada, Mexico and the United States will be known by the time the draw is made, with the final six coveted berths to be determined via play-off matches in March next year.

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