President Donald Trump announced that Washington’s John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts will host the draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The draw is scheduled for Dec. 5, Trump said Friday during a ceremony in the Oval Office, where the golden World Cup trophy was displayed on the Resolute Desk. The event will determine the match schedule for the tournament, which occurs every four years.
“It’s a tremendous honor to bring this global event, along with these incredible athletes — the best in the world — to the cultural center of our nation’s capital,” Trump said. “Some people refer to it as the Trump Kennedy Center, but we’re not prepared to do that quite yet.”
Trump has increasingly involved himself in both the global soccer tournament and the renowned arts institution, seeking to leave his mark on the nation’s cultural landscape.
This summer, Trump attended the final FIFA Club World Cup at MetLife Stadium, a de facto preview of next year’s tournament. He has also hosted FIFA President Gianni Infantino at the White House multiple times, including for Friday’s announcement.
Infantino told Trump the World Cup trophy “is for winners only” and added, “since you are a winner, of course you can touch it.” Trump lifted the trophy and jokingly asked if he could keep it, saying, “we’re not giving it back.” Infantino previously gifted Trump the original Club World Cup trophy.
The 2026 World Cup will be the first hosted across three countries: the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. However, the lead-up has been complicated by trade tensions following Trump’s decision to raise tariffs on imports from North American neighbors.
Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has actively engaged in professional sports, urging teams such as the NFL’s Washington Commanders and MLB’s Cleveland Guardians to revert to their former names. He has also attended numerous high-profile events, including the Super Bowl, Daytona 500, and UFC matches.
Sports leagues appear more open to working with Trump this term, compared with his first presidency when some championship teams avoided White House visits and his golf properties lost tournament hosting opportunities.
Trump has highlighted the U.S.’s hosting of the World Cup and the upcoming 2028 Olympics as proof of the nation’s resurgence under his leadership. This week, the PGA Tour announced it would return to his golf course in Doral, Florida next year after a multi-year break.
Since assuming the role of Kennedy Center chairman earlier this year, Trump has made significant changes, including ousting the board and installing loyalists, ending decades of bipartisan governance. He has promised a “full renovation” of the center, using $257 million from his tax and spending bill to make it “a crown jewel of American arts and culture,” and announced plans to repaint the building’s iconic golden columns. Trump also suggested that the World Cup could have a “primary office” in the center, without offering further details.
The Kennedy Center hosts a wide array of cultural programming, including theater, opera, ballet, and orchestral music, and is home to the National Symphony Orchestra and the Washington National Opera.
Trump’s efforts to assert control over the Kennedy Center mirror his broader moves in Washington, a city that leans heavily Democratic. Earlier this month, he took control of the city’s police department and deployed National Guard troops, citing concerns over crime and blight, despite Justice Department data showing violent crime in Washington reached a 30-year low last year.
The president’s changes to the Kennedy Center have drawn criticism from the arts community, prompting some prominent performers to cancel appearances and leading the hit musical Hamilton to abandon plans for a production.
