US President Donald Trump flanked by US Vice President JD Vance (L) and FIFA president Gianni Infantino (R) holds the World Cup Trophy as he makes an announcement in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on August 22, 2025.. Trump announced the 2026 World Cup draw will be held on December 5 at Washington’s Kennedy Center. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP) (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)
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In the latest of the increasingly regular broadcasts featuring Donald Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino, the US president announced that the draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup will take place at the Kennedy Center on December 5.
It was originally thought that the draw would be held in Las Vegas, as was the case the last time the United States hosted the tournament back in 1994, and it appears that many at FIFA thought this would be the case, but the venue was changed to the performing arts venue by the Potomac River.
Reporting by The Athletic last weekend stated that the Trump administration suggested the Washington D.C. venue, and Infantino went along with it, even if others at FIFA preferred the original idea to host the draw in Las Vegas.
The report also states that Las Vegas venues and hotels had been pencilled in for the event, but had to be turned down this month as it became clear that Trump indicated he might want to be involved, and that the Kennedy Center was his preferred venue.
During a press conference on Friday, Trump suggested that the Kennedy Center could soon be referred to as the Trump-Kennedy Center, and revealed the news while wearing a baseball cap bearing the words “Trump Was Right About Everything”.
As with recent soccer-related press conferences involving Trump, he regularly veered off into political topics ranging from crime and policing to foreign policy.
He intervened at one point to comment on crime in Washington, D.C. It’s a subject he has used to justify the military presence in the capital, before going on to comment that other cities will be next to have the National Guard move in.
“Chicago’s a mess, they have an incompetent mayor, grossly incompetent, and we’ll straighten that one out next, after this [Washington, D.C.], we’re gonna help with New York,” he said, in what appears to be an initiative designed to create a military presence in areas where he is not popular.
Alongside this, FIFA’s presence was effectively used to support Trump’s political angles, whether they liked it or not. At the moment, though, the president of soccer’s international governing body seems content to let that happen, even though FIFA has always claimed to be apolitical. It is currying favor with the United States much more so than to the other 2026 co-hosts, Mexico and Canada.
Infantino presented Trump with an oversized, ceremonial ticket for the 2026 World Cup final, situated, presumably symbolically, in seat one, row one, at MetLife Stadium, where the final will be held.
Away from this ceremony, some serious issues were raised, including those around the visa situation following the Trump administration’s ban on people from certain countries from traveling to the United States, including some who have and some who likely will qualify for the World Cup.
The president responded to a question on this by saying, “They’re going to have a very easy time getting in.
“Certain countries are going to be very, very easy, and other countries are going to obviously be a little more difficult.”
United States Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, added: “We have a process set up that will be implemented for getting visas approved. Everybody will be thoroughly vetted, but they will be welcome to this country, and it will happen quickly.
“We’re excited for them to come. I would hope that around the world, people know the United States is excited to bring their family here to enjoy this event.”
“America welcomes the world,” Infantino added in a sloganeering fashion, before Trump went on to touch upon another topic that has spanned the political and sporting divide—that of Russia’s involvement at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
US President Donald Trump flanked by US Vice President JD Vance (L) and FIFA president Gianni Infantino (R), holds a photograph of him with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska as he speaks in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on August 22, 2025.. Trump announced the 2026 World Cup draw will be held on December 5 at Washington’s Kennedy Center. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP) (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)
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The Russian national team has been suspended from FIFA and UEFA competitions since the country invaded Ukraine in 2022, so has not taken part in 2026 World Cup qualifying. But Trump said that Russian president, Vladimir Putin, wanted to be present at the tournament, and hinted that he might accept his request.
“I was just sent a picture from someone who wants to be there very badly,” said Trump, showing the gathered media a photo of himself with Putin.
“He’s been very respectful of me and our country, but not so respectful of others, but I’m going to sign this for him.
“That’s a man named Vladimir Putin, who I believe will be coming [to the World Cup], depending on what happens.
“He may be coming, and he may not, depending on what happens. We have a lot of things happening over the next couple of weeks, but I thought it was a nice picture of him, okay, of me [too], but nice of him. So it was very nice that he sent it to me.”
This adds another political element to the 2026 World Cup, awkward for FIFA but encouraged by Trump, who, rather than be seated by one of the corner flags in row one, seat one, is likely to be front and center throughout the tournament, or at least at its grand finale.
