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U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Friday that the draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be held on December 5 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and added that Russian President Vladimir Putin may attend the tournament.
During a press meeting at the Oval Office with FIFA President Gianni Infantino, Trump told reporters that Putin "wants to be there very badly," but added that his attendance would depend on the outcome of efforts to reach peace in Ukraine.
Trump’s remarks came after he and Putin met in Alaska on August 15 to discuss a potential peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine to end the war that began in 2022. Following the meeting, both sides expressed satisfaction, while Trump praised the "big progress" achieved.
During the meeting, Infantino gave Trump the rare opportunity to hold the World Cup trophy, which is usually restricted to heads of state, FIFA officials, and winning players. "Since you are a winner, of course you can as well touch it," Infantino told him. Trump joked in response, saying, "Can I keep it? That’s a beautiful piece of gold."
Infantino later presented Trump with a symbolic ticket — Row 1, Seat 1 — for the World Cup final, which is scheduled for July 19, 2026, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, just outside New York City.
The decision to hold the World Cup draw at the Kennedy Center carried political overtones, as Trump’s administration took control of the venue earlier this year. He referred to it as the “Trump-Kennedy Center” and said plans were underway to "beautify" the building.
The world's top international football contest, the FIFA World Cup, will be the first edition of the tournament to feature 48 teams in 2026, expanded from the previous 32. It will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, marking the first time three nations have staged the event together.
A total of 104 matches will be played across 16 host cities, with games in major U.S. venues such as MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, AT&T Stadium in Texas, and the Rose Bowl in California. Canada will host matches in Toronto and Vancouver, while Mexico will feature games in Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey.
The final is scheduled for July 19, 2026, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. This will be the first World Cup held in North America since the United States hosted the tournament in 1994.
The host nations will qualify automatically, while the qualification stage for the 2026 FIFA World Cup has not yet begun. In the European qualifiers, Türkiye is placed in Group E with Bulgaria, Georgia, and Spain.
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