In a high-profile Oval Office event on August 22, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the “2026 FIFA World Cup draw”—the ceremony marking the grouping of teams for the expanded tournament—will be held at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., on December 5. Surrounded by Vice President J.D. Vance, FIFA President Gianni Infantino, and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Trump framed the choice as a prestigious kickoff to what is slated to be the largest and most logistically complex World Cup in history.
Mayor Trump also disclosed that the Kennedy Center will serve a dual role: in addition to hosting the draw, it will house the tournament’s primary U.S. office. This announcement coincides with a $257 million renovation of the iconic venue, which Trump positions as central to the upcoming 250th anniversary celebrations of the United States. “We’re spending a lot of money, wisely, on making it really beautiful. It’s going to be beautiful again,” he declared.
Infantino underscored the global resonance of the event, stating, “We are uniting the world… here in America,” and notably offered Trump the rare privilege of holding the World Cup trophy during the ceremony.
This development marks a notable cultural moment for Washington, given that the capital is not a host city for any tournament matches—typically, World Cup draws are hosted in host cities or dedicated sports venues.
Trump’s announcement came amid other high-visibility visits that day, including a trip to a White House gift shop and a tour of the Kennedy Center, during which he made off-the-cuff remarks hinting at renaming the center after himself—though he said, “Maybe in a week or so.” The announcement occurred against a backdrop of heightened security in D.C., with National Guard troops deployed and 76 arrests made the previous night in an intensifying crackdown on crime. Critics argue the administration is using the situation to exaggerate urban danger, but Trump continued promoting sports diplomacy and grandeur.
The draw’s choice of venue defies conventional expectations, merging cultural prestige with sports spectacle. Trump called it “a tremendous honour to bring this global event… to the cultural centre of our nation’s capital,” while Infantino and other officials emphasized streamlined visa processing and enhanced global access.
Washington’s selection is also significant in light of Trump’s broader infrastructure and aesthetic revamp of federal landmarks—part of a larger narrative of reinvention and authority. As the Kennedy Center prepares for this transformation, critics point out that artists and performers have distanced themselves from the institution under Trump’s chairmanship, raising debate about the politicization of cultural spaces.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup itself, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, will be the first-ever 48-team edition, spanning 104 matches across 16 cities. While Vancouver, Toronto, Mexico City, and Monterrey will host group-stage games, cities in the U.S. will accommodate the majority of matches, with the final set at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Trump’s announcement thus casts the Kennedy Center into an unlikely role at the heart of World Cup excitement—not as a battlefield but as a ceremonial stage. The December draw, staged amid renovation and political theater, will symbolically bridge the world of performance and sport under the administration’s spectacle-driven vision.
