31 January, 2026, 9:45 pm Central - 25°C Clouds

FIFA announces hosts, musical performances for World Cup draw

FIFA announces hosts, musical performances for World Cup draw

By Rashika Kumar
04/12/2025
Photo : Reddit

he eyes of the football world will turn to Washington on Saturday as FIFA unveils the groups for the 2026 World Cup, with a celebrity-packed entertainment lineup set to accompany the draw ceremony.

The draw takes place at 5am on Saturday at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

The event will determine matchups for the expanded 48-team tournament spanning the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Model Heidi Klum will co-host alongside comedian Kevin Hart and actor Danny Ramirez. Klum also hosted the 2006 World Cup draw in her native Germany.

Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli will perform alongside pop star Robbie Williams, who appears with Tony Award winner Nicole Scherzinger.

Disco group Village People will close the ceremony with their anthem "Y.M.C.A.," a favorite of President Donald Trump, who is expected to attend the ceremony along with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.

The draw ceremony represents a major milestone for what will be the largest World Cup in history, featuring 104 matches across 16 host cities from June 11 through July 19, 2026.

Former soccer star Rio Ferdinand and broadcaster Samantha Johnson will run the draw proceedings, while retired sports legends Tom Brady, Shaquille O'Neal, Wayne Gretzky and Aaron Judge will appear on stage.

Former NFL quarterback Eli Manning will serve as red carpet host.

The Kennedy Center will welcome team officials, ambassadors and fans representing the tournament's host cities for the draw, which will be broadcast globally by FIFA's media partners.

FNRL
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