Tom Brady, Shaquille O’Neal lead A-list World Cup draw assistants
Tom Brady and Shaquille O’Neal are two of the headliners who will participate in Friday’s World Cup draw in Washington, DC, FIFA announced Wednesday.
The seven-time Super Bowl winner and NBA Hall of Famer will join former Manchester United star Rio Ferdinand, as well as Yankees slugger Aaron Judge and former NHL star Wayne Gretzky as part of the team on stage as the balls are drawn to assign the nations participating in the World Cup to their assigned groups.
“Being part of the final draw for the FIFA World Cup is an incredible honour. It’s the kind of world stage every athlete dreams of,” Brady, co-owner of English league Birmingham City, said in a FIFA statement. “I’m excited to help pave the way for a tournament that brings the world together like nothing else.”
Model Heidi Klum will co-host the event Friday with actors Kevin Hart and Danny Ramirez before the drawing. Entertainment scheduled for the ceremony includes Tony and Olivier Award winner Nicole Scherzinger, Andrea Bocelli and Robbie Williams.
The Village People plan to present “YMCA” and FIFA will award its first Peace Prize, which, according to the federation, “will recognize exceptional actions in favor of peace.” Former NFL star Eli Manning will host the red carpet.
A record 64 nations will participate in Friday’s World Cup draw, more than 30% of FIFA’s membership.
FIFA expanded the field from 32 teams to 48 for the 2026 edition, and only 42 places were determined for the ceremony. Twenty-two teams participating in Friday’s draw will head to the playoffs which will determine the final six spots on March 31.
There will be 104 matches instead of 64 at the World Cup which takes place from June 11 to July 19 at 16 venues across North America. Seventy-eight games will take place in 11 NFL stadiums, including all starting in the quarterfinals, and 13 each in Mexico and Canada. The finale will take place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, where there will be a halftime show for the first time.
In addition to the 12 group winners and the second-placed nations, eight third-placed teams advance to the round of 16. The World Cup winner will play eight matches.
The United States will open the World Cup on June 12 in Inglewood, California, then play in Seattle seven days later and close the group stage on June 25 in Inglewood.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this story.
