Overview
- The draw at the Kennedy Center in Washington will allocate 48 finalists into 12 groups of four for a tournament running June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
- FIFA confirmed the ceremony will be hosted by Rio Ferdinand with Samantha Johnson, with assisting guests Wayne Gretzky, Shaquille O’Neal, Tom Brady and Aaron Judge.
- The leaders of the host nations — U.S. President Donald Trump, Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum — are expected to attend.
- Politico reports Trump will be brought on stage to receive a FIFA Peace Award and deliver remarks, citing the event program.
- The U.S. State Department projects up to 10 million international visitors, about $30 million in economic impact and roughly 200,000 jobs tied to the tournament.