The path to the largest-ever FIFA World Cup will officially begin in Washington D.C., with U.S. President Donald Trump announcing that the nation’s capital will host the tournament’s final draw. The announcement was made from the Oval Office at the White House, where President Trump was joined by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who brought the iconic World Cup trophy with him.
The globally televised draw is scheduled for December 5, 2025, at the Kennedy Center, a prestigious performing arts venue in Washington. This decision marks a shift from previous reports that suggested Las Vegas would host the event. “It’s the biggest, probably the biggest event in sports,” President Trump remarked during the announcement. Infantino highlighted the massive global interest, stating, “The draw will be broadcast live all over the world and will be watched by one billion viewers.”
The 2026 tournament, officially marketed as FIFA World Cup 26, is set to be a historic event, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. It will be the first edition to feature an expanded field of 48 nations, up from the previous 32. This expansion increases the total number of games from 64 to 104, a scale Infantino enthusiastically described as “104 Super Bowls!” The tournament will run from June 11 to July 19, 2026, across 16 host cities in North America.
Key match locations have already been determined, setting the stage for a continent-wide celebration of football. The tournament will kick off on June 11, 2026, at the legendary Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, making Mexico the first country to host or co-host the men’s World Cup three times. On June 12, both Canada and the United States will play their opening matches on home soil, in Toronto and Los Angeles, respectively. The month-long event will culminate in the final on July 19, 2026, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, which will be referred to as the New York/New Jersey Stadium during the competition.
The new 48-team format will introduce significant changes to the tournament structure. The group stage will consist of 12 groups of four teams. The top two teams from each group, along with the eight best-ranked third-place teams, will advance to a newly introduced Round of 32. This means that the teams that reach the semifinals and final will now play a total of eight matches, one more than in the previous format.
As co-hosts, the national teams of the United States, Canada, and Mexico have all automatically qualified for the tournament. Excitement is building across the 16 host cities, which include Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Guadalajara, Kansas City, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Monterrey, Mexico City, Toronto, Boston, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Miami. These cities are deep in preparation, launching volunteer programs and community initiatives to welcome the world. The tournament marks the World Cup’s return to the region for the first time since the U.S. hosted in 1994, and recent regional rivalries, such as Mexico’s victory over the USA in the 2025 Gold Cup final, have only intensified the anticipation for what promises to be an unforgettable global spectacle.
