When the World Cup Comes to Washington: 48 Teams, Four Pots, One Star-Studded Draw

Event Details and Broadcast

A star-studded lineup will attend the draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, scheduled to take place in Washington on Friday, led by former England defender Rio Ferdinand. The ceremony will begin at 8:00 PM local time, with Mecca time also noted for global viewers. Fans can watch the moment live on FIFA's YouTube channel and on various networks, notably BeIN Sports News.

The tournament itself is set to unfold in June 2026, hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, marking the first edition to feature 48 teams. FIFA confirmed Ferdinand will oversee the draw, with award-winning presenter Samantha Johnson joining him on stage.

Entertainment and Guests

Beyond the drawing of the groups, the event features a high-profile cross-sport lineup on the podium. American football legend Tom Brady, hockey icon Wayne Gretzky, current MLB star Aaron Judge, basketball great Shaquille O’Neal, and former quarterback Eli Manning are all slated to participate. Eli Manning will also appear as a guest of honor, adding to the star power surrounding the ceremony.

In addition to the sports figures, the show will showcase a star-studded entertainment lineup. Heidi Klum, Kevin Hart, and Dani Ramirez will co-host portions of the proceedings, with live performances from Andrea Bocelli and Robbie Williams, plus a collaboration with Nicole Scherzinger. After the draw, the Village People will close the night with their iconic Y.M.C.A. finale.

World Cup 2026: Pots, Groups, and Arab Nations

FIFA outlined the four pots for the group-stage draw, with 12 teams in each pot. The goal is to form 12 groups of four, drawing one team from each pot into every quartet of opponents.

Arab nations feature prominently in the mix, with five teams in the third pot and Morocco perched in the second pot. Jordan, Algeria, and Tunisia are among the teams moving through the qualification path, while other playoff entrants could shift pots as qualification concludes.

Pot 1 will feature Canada, Mexico, the United States, and heavyweights such as Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany.

Pot 2 includes Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, Iran, South Korea, Ecuador, Austria, and Australia.

Pot 3 lists Norway, Panama, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa.

Pot 4 contains Jordan, Cape Verde, Ghana, Curaçao, Haiti, New Zealand, plus playoff winners from Europe and FIFA playoff paths.

Punchline time: if the draw were a movie, the suspense would be in the brackets, and the villain would be the offside rule. Punchline two: may your teams find a group where the snacks are plentiful and the refereeing is liberal with the whistle—just not so liberal that VAR starts returning its own paychecks.