Hey football fam! Yesterday, the one-and-only FIFA World Cup trophy landed at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., setting the stage for today's big draw ceremony. Can you feel the buzz? 🏆⚽
Today, former England captain Rio Ferdinand and award-winning broadcaster Samantha Johnson will take the stage at 5pm ET to reveal the 48-team group stage for the 2026 tournament co-hosted by Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Major sports legends like Tom Brady, Wayne Gretzky, Shaquille O'Neal and Aaron Judge are also joining the action, with Eli Manning on the red carpet. Talk about star power! 🌟
So far, 42 of 48 teams have punched their ticket to the biggest football fiesta. Here's a sneak peek at the pots:
- Pot 1: Canada, Mexico, USA, Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany
- Pot 2: Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, Iran, Republic of Korea, Ecuador, Austria, Australia
- Pot 3: Norway, Panama, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Cote d'Ivoire, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa
- Pot 4: Jordan, Cabo Verde, Ghana, Curacao, Haiti, New Zealand + 6 play-off winners
The draw kicks off the countdown to summer 2026! Matches will light up 16 host cities—2 in Canada, 11 in the US and 3 in Mexico—from June 11 to July 19. Whether you're streaming on your phone or cheering at a local watch party in Mumbai, Jakarta or Manila, get ready for unforgettable moments. 🌍🎉
Who are you rooting for? Share your Group of Death predictions and team loyalties in the comments! 🔥
Reference(s):
FIFA World Cup trophy reaches Washington, D.C., ahead of draw ceremony
cgtn.com
