FIFA World Cup Trophy Arrives in Washington, D.C. Ahead of 2026 Draw Ceremony

The FIFA World Cup trophy arrived in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, setting the stage for Friday’s official draw for the 2026 tournament, which will be jointly hosted by Canada, the United States and Mexico.

The iconic gold trophy — the most coveted prize in world football — was showcased at the John F. Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts ahead of the ceremony. Former England captain Rio Ferdinand has been appointed to oversee the landmark draw for the expanded 48-team competition, alongside acclaimed broadcaster Samantha Johnson.

A host of legendary sporting figures from across North America will also feature at the event. NFL star Tom Brady, NHL legend Wayne Gretzky, NBA great Shaquille O’Neal and MLB standout Aaron Judge are all scheduled to participate, while two-time Super Bowl champion Eli Manning will serve as the ceremony’s red-carpet host.

A total of 42 nations have already secured their place at the finals. The 12 seeded teams in Pot 1 are: Canada, Mexico, the United States, Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.

Pot 2 contains Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, Iran, the Republic of Korea, Ecuador, Austria and Australia.

Teams placed in Pot 3 include Norway, Panama, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Côte d’Ivoire, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and South Africa.

The final pot will feature the remaining six placeholders — four from the European play-offs and two from the Intercontinental play-offs — joining Jordan, Cabo Verde, Ghana, Curaçao, Haiti and New Zealand.

All 48 teams will be drawn into 12 groups and will compete across 16 host cities: two in Canada, 11 in the United States and three in Mexico. The tournament will run from 11 June to 19 July 2026.