December 53 minutes agoGetting started with Pot 1Amy HusserAs we get started, here’s a reminder of who is in Pot 1, which includes co-hosts Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.They are joined by the top nine teams, ordered here by rank: Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.7 minutes agoOfficial draw finally kicking offAnya ZoledziowskiFormer England soccer captain Rio Ferdinand poses for a photo as he arrives on the red carpet ahead of the draw for 2026 World Cup at the Kennedy Center on Thursday. (Chris Carlson/The Associated Press)Former English professional soccer player Rio Ferdinand will conduct the actual draw, with several sports stars joining him as “draw assistants”: Wayne Gretzky, Shaquille O’Neal, Aaron Judge and Tom Brady. Ferdinand was joined on stage by broadcaster Samantha Johnson, the World Cup draw host. “Kevin, Heidi, we’ll take it from here,” Johnson said. Presumably, that means we are very close to getting underway! Ferdinand was clear on one thing, however: it’s football. 14 minutes agoWhat about the economics behind the tournament? Is hosting worth it?Anya ZoledziowskiThe World Cup Trophy truly is a thing of beauty: designed by Italian artist Silvio Gazzaniga, it’s made of 18-carat gold with a malachite base. (John Rieti/CBC)Hosting a global sporting event is expensive, and the World Cup is no different. Estimates suggest that hosting seven games in Vancouver will cost provincial and municipal governments $624 million, with another $116 million coming from the federal government. Meanwhile, games in Toronto are expected to cost about $380 million, divided between the three levels of government. According to a recent Angus Reid poll, more than 70 per cent of Canadians believe that hosting is only worth it if the cities can recoup the costs. Then there are the ticket prices, with fans paying hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars to attend a game. The same Angus Reid poll found that an overwhelming majority of Canadians believe tickets are too expensive. But FIFA vice-president Victor Montagliani recently told CBC News that tournaments like the World Cup generate a lot of revenue. “People kind of lose perspective of that. They think it just sits in a bank account. It doesn’t just sit in a bank account. It goes out and it builds stadiums, development programs,” he said, noting that 85 per cent of revenue is funnelled back to member countries so they can grow and develop the sport. 29 minutes ago How Trump and Infantino’s bond shaped the World Cup drawThe Associated PressTrump, left, with Infantino during an Oval Office meeting with the White House task force on the World Cup last month. (Evan Vucci/The Associated Press)Some background while we await the draw: The relationship between the American president and FIFA president Gianni Infantino dates back to at least 2018, shortly after the U.S. was named co-host of the soccer tournament.Infantino, who was also serving his first term as FIFA president, made an impression during a White House visit that year by handing Trump red and yellow penalty cards, joking they could be used on the press.The relationship flourished in the years since. Trump was instrumental in working with Infantino to move the draw to the Kennedy Center after it was widely expected to take place in Las Vegas, while Infantino has framed his close relationship with the U.S. president as “crucial” to the tournament’s overall success.31 minutes ago Host leaders on stage as draw beginsAnya ZoledziowskiInfantino, Trump and Sheinbaum look on as Carney speaks on stage at the draw for the 2026 World Cup. (Mandel Ngan/The Associated Press)Inching closer toward the official draw, Infantino called Carney, Sheinbaum and Trump on stage, referring to them as “draw assistants.” “It is the biggest of deals,” Carney said when asked by Infantino how big of a deal it is to be a host country. He referenced the more than 200 nationalities living in Canada, as well as the sheer popularity of soccer Canada-wide. Also, many jokes about what to call the sport — “soccer” or “football” — have been cracked already, perhaps unsurprisingly, with Trump taking the opportunity to make some quips himself. All three world leaders then began by symbolically drawing their respective countries.37 minutes agoDraw nearly underway nowAmy HusserThe World Cup Trophy has been brought on stage by Lionel Scaloni, the coach who led Argentina to glory during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.This was followed by a highlights reel showing scenery and soccer moments from the three host countries: Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. The leaders of each country are now on stage, too, with FIFA’s president explaining how the draw works.The division of the groups is officially getting underway.40 minutes agoA note about the FIFA peace prizeSarah PetzInfantino speaks at a FIFA draw on Nov. 20. (Denis Balibouse/Reuters)Hi, I’m Sarah Petz, a writer with the live pages team at CBC News. Human Rights Watch has said it is concerned about the prize, saying there has been “no transparency” around the process for choosing the honouree. In a statement issued Wednesday, before it was officially awarded, the organization said it wrote to FIFA asking for more information but had not received a response. 42 minutes agoTrump awarded FIFA’s new peace prizeAnya ZoledziowskiTrump delivers his speech after receiving the FIFA peace prize from organization president Infantino. (Jia Haocheng/AFP/Getty Images)There’s about half an hour to go before the draw itself takes place. But the spectacle is well underway, with performances from Bocelli, along with a duet by Robbie Williams and Nicole Scherzinger. Together, they performed the FIFA anthem Desire. A video singing the praises of U.S. President Donald Trump played as well. “This has been a presidency marked by actions to pursue peace around the world,” the video’s narrator said. The video preceded the announcement that Trump would receive FIFA’s inaugural peace prize — a prize he was expected to win given his close ties to FIFA president Gianni Infantino. Trump then took to the stage, shaking hands with Infantino before he presented Trump with a gold medal, a massive trophy and a certificate that says it’s for a person who “exemplifies an unwavering commitment to advancing peace and unity around the world.”Infantino then offered emphatic praise of his friend Trump. “This is truly one of the great honours of my life,” Trump told the room, before listing off his accomplishments. Notably, this peace price didn’t exist until about a month ago. It’s well known that Trump has been eyeing a Nobel Peace Prize.57 minutes agoFIFA president takes the stage Anya ZoledziowskiFIFA President Gianni Infantino speaks at the opening of the draw for the 2026 World Cup on Friday. (Mandel Ngan/The Associated Press)FIFA president Gianni Infantino took to the stage, offering greetings in multiple languages. He gave a warm welcome to U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump. In Spanish, he welcomed Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, and then he greeted Prime Minister Park Carney and his wife, Diana Fox Carney. Infantino then launched into a speech, hyping up everything that’s to come.”This will be stellar. This will be spectacular,” Infantino said of the upcoming tournament. “We will have six billion people watching the World Cup from all over the world.””This is like 104 Superbowls in one month,” Infantino said for American viewers to get a sense of scale. Infantino was clearly trying to create hype and fanfare by shouting out big names in attendance, and later, encouraging Americans, Canadians and Mexicans in the audience to repeatedly yell out the names of their respective countries.1 hour ago Millions of people watchingAnya ZoledziowskiActor Kevin Hart and model Heidi Klum are hosting today’s draw. (Mandel Ngan/The Associated Press)There is a lot of fanfare swirling around this draw. The Kennedy Center is packed with celebrities, artists and word-class athletes. Meanwhile, between 500 million and a billion people around the world are watching, host Heidi Klum told the audience.
FIFA World Cup 2026: Draw selection kicks off after star-studded ceremony in D.C.
