Former US President Trump to Attend 2026 World Cup Draw

President Donald Trump will attend the 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage draw in Washington D.C. this Friday, the White House announced. The event comes as speculation grows about Trump potentially receiving FIFA's new Peace Award, while the president has made security threats regarding host cities.

White House spokesperson Caroline Levitt confirmed Trump's attendance at the Kennedy Center ceremony, though it remains unclear whether he'll participate as an honorary guest or take an active role in the proceedings.

The timing has sparked rumors about Trump receiving FIFA's newly created Peace Award. The international soccer body says it wants to honor "individuals who have taken exceptional and extraordinary action for peace, contributing to uniting the peoples of the world." FIFA hasn't confirmed any recipient yet.

The 2026 World Cup will be the biggest in tournament history. For the first time since the competition began in 1930, 48 national teams will compete instead of the usual 32. The United States is co-hosting with Mexico and Canada, with matches starting in June 2026.

But Trump has already made waves with security demands. He recently threatened to pull games from certain host cities if they can't guarantee safety, specifically mentioning Seattle and Los Angeles. When asked how long it would take to move matches to different cities, Trump didn't give a clear timeline.

This fits Trump's broader claims about crime in American cities being out of control - claims that official crime statistics don't support. He argues that only his leadership can fix these problems, a message he's repeated throughout his political career.

The draw will determine which teams face each other in the group stage. With 48 teams competing, the tournament structure will be different from previous World Cups, creating more matches and extending the competition timeline.

For FIFA, having a sitting U.S. president at the draw ceremony adds significant political weight to an already major sporting event. The organization has worked to maintain good relationships with host country governments, especially for such a large-scale tournament spanning three nations.