US ready to host FIFA World Cup 2026 final draw, as President Trump is expected to attend

By Abdulgafar Oladimeji

All is set for the hosting of the highest profile final draw in the history of the FIFA World Cup,  which is scheduled to take place on December 5,  at the  J F Kennedy Centre located in the heart of the US Capitol, Washington, DC.

The final draw is scheduled to take place, 12 pm Eastern Time EST, 6 pm West African (Nigerian)Time. WAT

Our correspondent who visited the Kennedy  Centre on  Wednesday morning reports that, there is a gradual heavy build up of human traffic related to the  FIFA world cup 2026  , the event is described as one of the most anxious moments of the Mondial, as millions of football fans would be anxiously watching and jeering at the unveiling of the opponents that would trade hostilities against their favorite national teams. Football kits

National and international journalists have begun to besiege the centre in mass in search of scope , over 1.2 billion football fans are expected to follow the event through various media platforms from across the globe.

FIFA electronic boards now stand erected at the major entry point to the venue, the interior of the centre now wears a new look, technicians, craftsmen and women, media engineers are neck deep in installing gadgets, FIFA-branded interior signages and special furniture have been mounted in readiness for the d -day.

Read Also: FIFA unveils 2026 World Cup Mascots

Various segments in the interior parts of the centre have been taken over by FIFA-branded signage, billboards, a well-lit pathway is now hoisting the national flags of the different nations that have qualified for the  2026 World Cup in US, Canada and Mexico.

The 2026  World cup would be the largest in history, featuring 48 national teams, so far 42 countries have qualified for the Mondial; six remaining teams would pick their tickets  through Playoffs.

Our correspondent reports that the atmosphere remains calm as visitors roam in and out of the J F  Centre, and journalists are also busy taking video shots and photographs.

The White House last Tuesday had stated that the US President, Donald Trump, would grace the final draw; he is expected to preside over the draw.

It would be recalled that President Trump was live at the final of the FIFA Club World Cup final game, on July 13, 2025, played at  the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Impeccable sources have revealed that President Trump would be the recipient of the newly introduced FIFA Peace prize Award.

The top seeds are the defending World Cup champions, Argentina, the host nations USA, Mexico and Canada, former five five-time winners  Samba Boys of Brazil, the two-time winners The Blues of France, the four-time winners German Machines, as well as Spain, England, Portugal, the Netherlands and Belgium are the  other top-seeded teams.

The Azteca Stadium in Mexico City would host the opening match ,  the stadium is historic for hosting the  1970 and 1986world cup finals,  the final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup would be played at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

In departure from the usual tradition,   this time the match venues and kickoff times would be announced on  Saturday, a day after the draw. has been staged, this is owing to the intricacies associated with this edition of the biggest football fiesta.

The operators of the Kennedy Centre in reply to congressional queries, have revealed that  FIFA has paid the Centre a whopping sum of $7.4 million to stage the draw at the  venue .

Roma Daravi, the Kennedy Centre’s vice president of public relations,  said FIFA  “has also given us sponsorship opportunities separate from their commitments for an additional $5 million,” .

She added that “When you look at the full picture, it totals $7.4 million to the Kennedy Centre, plus incurred expenses,”.

The FIFA World Cup in 2026 will be hosted across cities in the United States, Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19.

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