Overview
- The Final Draw completed the 48‑team group stage, with Group L featuring England, Croatia, Ghana and Panama, and Group I including France, Senegal, Norway and a playoff qualifier.
- FIFA presented a newly created Peace Prize to President Donald Trump during the ceremony, a move widely criticized for politicizing what was meant to be a sporting event.
- Gianni Infantino declared “it’s not a normal draw” and framed the tournament’s scale as “104 Super Bowls at once.”
- The draw itself was conducted by Tom Brady, Wayne Gretzky, Aaron Judge and Shaquille O’Neal, none of whom have professional football experience.
- FIFA scrapped dynamic pricing but kept its official resale platform with uncapped prices and a combined 30% fee split between buyers and sellers, which fan groups including Football Supporters Europe and Euroconsumers condemned as revenue driven.