Trump Stuns FIFA President with Oval Office Joke, Announces 2026 World Cup Draw at Kennedy Center.
US President Donald Trump left FIFA President Gianni Infantino momentarily speechless during a meeting at the Oval Office when he jokingly suggested he might keep the FIFA World Cup trophy. The lighthearted moment had the room erupting in laughter and quickly went viral online.
Trump also announced that the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, will host the 2026 World Cup draw on December 5, kicking off a year of more than 100 matches across the United States. “It’s a tremendous honour to bring this global event… to the cultural centre of our nation’s capital,” Trump said, flanked by Vice President JD Vance, Infantino, Homeland Security Secretary Kristy Noem, and presidential envoy Richard Grenell. Infantino added that the draw is expected to reach 1 billion viewers worldwide.
The 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico, will feature 48 teams and 104 matches—the first edition of the tournament with an expanded format. Trump projected the event will generate over $30 billion for the US economy and create 185,000 jobs. Canada will host 13 games in Toronto and Vancouver, Mexico will stage 13 matches in Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey, while 11 US cities will host the remaining fixtures.
Trump also highlighted his $257 million renovation of the Kennedy Center, calling it a key feature of the US’s 250th anniversary celebrations, which will coincide with the World Cup. “We’re spending a lot of money, wisely, on making it really beautiful,” he said.
FIFA has already established field offices in Miami and New York’s Trump Tower to prepare for the tournament.
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