President Donald Trump said Friday that Washington’s John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts will host the draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on 5 December. The announcement, made in the Oval Office, settles months of speculation over the venue for the high-profile ceremony that sets the tournament’s group stage. Flanked by FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Vice President JD Vance, Trump called the World Cup “the largest, most complex set of events in sports history” and said the Kennedy Center would give the tournament “a phenomenal kickoff.” Infantino, who brought the gold trophy to the White House, endorsed the venue choice and left open whether Trump might help conduct the draw. Next year’s World Cup will be the first staged across three nations—the United States, Canada and Mexico—and the first to expand to 48 teams, producing 104 matches in 16 cities. Play begins 11 June 2026 at Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium and concludes 19 July at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Although Washington is not a host city, the capital will draw global attention when the draw assigns teams to 12 groups of four. Trump has reshaped the Kennedy Center’s leadership since taking office, installing loyalists on its board and hinting that the venue could soon be branded the “Trump-Kennedy Center.” He said renovations are under way to prepare the cultural landmark for December’s event.