FIFA World Cup trophy reaches Washington, D.C., ahead of draw ceremony

The FIFA World Cup trophy arrived in Washington, D.C., on Thursday ahead of Friday's draw ceremony for next year's tournament in Canada, the United States and Mexico.

The ultimate prize in international football was displayed at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts ahead of the ceremony. Former England captain Rio Ferdinand will conduct the historic 48-team draw alongside award-winning broadcaster Samantha Johnson.

Sporting greats Tom Brady (NFL), Wayne Gretzky (NHL), Shaquille O'Neal (NBA) and Aaron Judge (MLB) will also join the proceedings, with two-time Super Bowl winner Eli Manning serving as the event's red carpet host.

So far, 42 of the 48 qualifying teams have been confirmed. The 12 seeded teams in Pot 1 are Canada, Mexico, USA, Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.

Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, Iran, Republic of Korea, Ecuador, Austria and Australia are in Pot 2.

Pot 3 features Norway, Panama, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Cote d'Ivoire, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and South Africa.

The six remaining placeholders – four from the European Play-offs and two from the Intercontinental Play-offs – will join Jordan, Cabo Verde, Ghana, Curacao, Haiti and New Zealand in Pot 4.

The 48 teams will be divided into 12 groups and compete in 16 host cities – two in Canada, 11 in the United States and three in Mexico – from June 11 to July 19, 2026.