World Cup Draw Is Set For Kennedy Center

Just because something could happen in Vegas, doesn’t mean it will stay in Vegas.

For some time, it had been speculated that the draw for the 2026 World Cup would be held in Las Vegas.

Until Friday.

In a stunning announcement, President Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced on Friday at the White House that one of the world soccer governing body’s biggest events will take place at the Kennedy Center For the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. on Friday, Dec. 5.

That’s right.

The draw will be held at the Kennedy Center, which was named after the late U.S. President John F. Kennedy. The center has been the site of countless cultural events through the years, including the Kennedy Center Honors, which is traditionally held in December. This year’s ceremony will be held two days after the draw on Sunday, Dec. 7.

“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 at the White House. “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.”

In fact, President Trump teased that the Kennedy Center would have a new name by the draw.

“On December 5 of this year, the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw will take place at the Kennedy Center,” Trump was quoted by deadline.com. “Some people refer to it as the ‘Trump Kennedy Center,’ but we’re not prepared to do that quite yet. Maybe in a week or so.”

What did Infantino say?

Infantino’s reaction to the draw?

According to a FIFA press release, 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 D.C. 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.”

Given that President Trump, who recently was named chairman of the Kennedy Center and who is expected to play a role during the draw, the decision to hold one of FIFA’s most glamorous events can be construed as political. It is rare for political figures to be directly involved in World Cup draw processes.

It should be noted that President Trump’s daughter Ivanka and her son picked the first team out of the draw at the FIFA Club World Cup draw in Miami last December.

President Trump already has made headlines, not necessarily for the best, concerning international soccer in the USA in recent months.

Trump’s World Cup history

He already has a FIFA Club World Cup trophy in the Oval Office.

At MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. on July 13, Trump not only participated in the medal ceremony, he celebrated with champions Chelsea and wound up in photos with the English Premier League team.

On Friday, Infantino brought the FIFA World Cup trophy to the White House. Trump asked jokingly Infantino if he could keep the trophy, but the FIFA president politely said no.

According to TMZ, Trump said “Can I keep it?!” Trump asked at first. “We’re not giving it back! We’re not giving it back!

“That’s a beautiful piece of gold, I will say. That’s beautiful!”

Instead, Infantino gave Trump the first ticket to the World Cup final It was numbered 45/47, reflecting Trump’s two terms as president.

Putin might attend the World Cup

President Trump also announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin may attend the World Cup as he showed a photograph in the Oval Office of the two leaders together when they met in Anchorage, Alaska last week in hopes of getting peace talks in the Russian-Ukraine war started.

“I was just sent a picture from somebody that wants to be here very badly. He’s been very respectful of me and of our country, but not so respectful of others. I’m going to sign this for him. But I was sent one, and I thought you all would like to see it. That’s a man named Vladimir Putin,” Trump said, according to The Hill.

The picture showed the two presidents walking together at a U.S. military base in Anchorage.

As it turns out, Russia has been banned from participating in the World Cup after it invaded Ukraine in 2022.

A very curious situation.

Infantino certainly has forged a curious relationship with Trump in an effort to gain the U.S. president’s favor prior to the World Cup. According to unofficial estimates, Infantino has visited the White House almost a dozen times.

Of course, Infantino needs to curry favor with the U.S. president because so much is on the line for his organization. Besides prestige, FIFA stands to make billions of dollars on the tournament. Any interference from the federal government could cut into the profits.

Question about tourists

As this writer reported in May, the elephant in the room – and we’re not talking about the GOP – is the Trump administration’s border policy, which has stirred fear, controversy and outrage, depending which side you are on the political spectrum.

The Trump administration has deported immigrants without due process and has detained foreigners at the U.S. border.

In April, Infantino dismissed concerns that tourists will encounter problems, coming or going next year.

“America is a welcoming country,” he was quoted by the Washington Post, during a promotional visit to Washington, D.C. for the Club World Cup. “America welcomes the world. Fans from all over the world will come. … They will be welcome here. America welcomes the world. That’s how it has been, is and will be.”

Washington, D.C. has been the center of major news reports after the Trump administration recently instituted federal control over the nation’s capital police force and called in national guard units from several states. It is too early to predict whether there will be federal troops still deployed D.C. come Dec. 5.

World Cup draw facts

To date, the U.S. is able to welcome a little more than a quarter of the teams.

Only 13 sides have qualified to the tournament. That includes the three co-hosts. the United States, Canada and Mexico. Defending champions Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Ecuador, Iran, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and debutants Uzbekistan and Jordan also booked berths to the 48-team competition, which will be the biggest World Cup in the number of teams, in history.

Other qualified teams will be determined during FIFA international windows in September, October and November.

The draw will be held only a day before Major League Soccer is scheduled to hold its premier event, the MLS Cup, which will celebrate its 30th anniversary. A host city won’t be determined for that event until the final conference champions are determined on Nov. 29-30. The surviving side with the most points will host the championship game. In case you are wondering, don’t hold your breath for hapless D.C. United to host MLS Cup because the team can be eliminated from MLS Cup Playoff contention as early as this weekend.

While the MLS Cup is an important event to many soccer fans and teams in the United States and Canada, much of the publicity for the game will be swallowed up by the World Cup.

Talk about the sport eating its own.

On Dec. 19, 1993, the World Cup draw for USA ’94 was held at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. Many observers felt that Sin City was the perfect spot as the gambling capital of the world to hold an event that would sort out the group stage of the tournament and help determine the path to the final at the Rose Bowl on July 17, 1994.

That World Cup helped kick off the revival of professional soccer in the USA.

Today, Aug. 22, 2025, with the announcement of the draw at the Kennedy Center, many soccer fans and observers are scratching their heads on what has become a modern version of political football.

That World Cup is expected to propel soccer into a higher orbit in North America.

Before that, it will be interesting to see what Trump, Infantino, FIFA have planned for the World Cup.