Trump Announces Kennedy Center as Venue For 2026 World Cup Draw
President Donald Trump announced on Friday that the Kennedy Center, or the “Trump-Kennedy Center”, as he sometimes refers to it, will host the draw of the FIFA 2026 World Cup on December 5.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino joined Trump, who helped secure North America as the 2026 World Cup location during his first mandate, for the announcement to the oval office.
“It is an immense honor to bring the world event and this incredible group of people and these incredible athletes, the best athletes in the world, at the cultural center of the capital of our country,” he added.
Trump highlighted the scope of the World Cup, which is equivalent to a series of “super bowls” as Infantino did.
“The draw for the World Cup will set up the competition group phase; 48 teams will play in 104 games in 16 North American cities, from Seattle to Vancouver in Atlanta in Miami. It will be so exciting for our country,” he said.
“The FIFA 2026 World Cup will be one of the most important and most complex events … In a way, it’s like – Gianni said it better – it’s like having many super bowls in a short time because each of these games is essentially a super bowl,” he added.
The Kennedy Center will give the World Cup festivities “a phenomenal kick-off,” said Trump, adding that the event should inject $ 30 billion into the American economy while producing nearly 200,000 jobs in the United States in short time.
Infantino, who brought the World Cup of the World Cup of FIFA 2025 to the White House earlier this year, the FIFA World Cup trophy presented on Friday.
“Only the president of FIFA, the presidents of the country, then those who win can touch him because it is for the winners only, and as you are a winner, of course, you can also touch him,” infantino told Trump, adding that the football superstar Lionel Messi was the last to hoist him.
Trump, who reorganized the oval office with gold decorations and a cup, asked Infantino: “Can I keep it?” Drawing the laughter of the room.
“This is suitable here, I think, until we have to give it to the next winner,” said Infantino.
Infantino also presented Trump a ticket for the World Cup final.
