US Politics
Watch live: Trump attends FIFA 2026 World Cup draw at Kennedy Center
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.
Read more
Watch live as Donald Trump attends FIFA’s 2026 World Cup draw on Friday (5 December).
The ceremony – which will be attended by athletes, celebrities and world leaders – will determine which national teams are sorted into various groups for next year’s men’s tournament.
Running from 11 June to 19 July, the tournament has been expanded to include 48 teams, 16 up from the 32-nation field that competed at the Qatar World Cup in 2022.
During the sporting event at the Kennedy Center, the US president is also expected to receive the world football organisation’s inaugural peace prize.
He will be awarded the prize by FIFA chief Gianni Infantino, who has a close relationship with Mr Trump and has made several trips to the White House.
Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian prime minister Mark Carney will also be in attendance, as the three nations make history by hosting the World Cup together.
Iran had previously said it would boycott the draw, after US authorities refused to grant visas to its delegates. The country has since confirmed that it will send representatives.