England will meet Croatia in their opening game of the 2026 World Cup, while Scotland will take on Brazil, after the long draw finally concluded in Washington DC.
England will also play Panama and Ghana in Group L, while Scotland will meet Haiti and Morocco in Group C.
The drawn-out ceremony featured speeches by Fifa president Gianni Infantino, the award of a controversial Peace Prize to US president Donald Trump, a performance by Robbie Williams and a complex and at times chaotic draw helmed by Rio Ferdinand.
England are among the favourites to lift the trophy in New Jersey on 19 July, as Thomas Tuchel aims to do what Gareth Southgate couldn’t quite manage and claim glory in a major final. But there will be plenty of contenders next summer such as Spain, France, Germany, Brazil and reigning champions Argentina. Scotland, meanwhile, will be aiming to make a big impact at a first World Cup for 28 years.
Follow reaction to the 2026 World Cup draw below.
World Cup 2026 draw
- Rio Ferdinand hosted World Cup 2026 draw in Washington DC
- First 48-team World Cup will be hosted by USA, Canada and Mexico next summer
- World Cup group-stage draw in full
- England drawn into Group L alongside Croatia, Ghana and Panama
- Scotland given tough draw for first World Cup since 1998 as they join Brazil, Morocco and Haiti in Group C
- Wales, Northern Ireland and Rep of Ireland could still qualify via play-offs in March
- Fifa president Gianni Infantino awards Donald Trump controversial Peace Prize
Who could Republic of Ireland face at the 2026 World Cup? Groups revealed after draw
01:05 , Will CastleThe Republic of Ireland now know the fate that awaits them if the qualify for the 2026 Fifa World Cup after the draw was made for the tournament.
They have advanced into Path D of the second round of World Cup qualifying and will make the trip to the Czech Republic for their semi-final on 26 March.
Should Ireland emerge victorious in the semi-final, they will face either Denmark or North Macedonia at home in the final on 31 March.
Win that clash and Ireland will take up their place in Group A alongside Mexico, South Africa and South Korea.
Who could Republic of Ireland face at the 2026 World Cup? Groups revealed after draw
Who could Wales face at the 2026 World Cup? Groups revealed after draw
00:05 , Will CastleWales now know the fate that awaits them if the qualify for the 2026 Fifa World Cup after the draw was made for the tournament.
After finishing second in Group J of the Uefa section of World Cup qualifying, Wales have advanced into Path A of the second round but face a tough set of play-offs if they hope to reach the tournament.
Wales will first host Bosnia and Herzegovina in Cardiff on 26 March in a semi-final, hoping to set up a deciding clash with either Italy or Northern Ireland — who meet on the same night.
Win that clash and Wales will take up their place in Group B alongside co-hosts Canada, as well as Qatar and Switzerland.
Who could Wales face at the 2026 World Cup? Groups revealed after draw
Argentina gearing up for their World Cup defence
23:35 , Will CastleWorld Cup holders Argentina will be happy with their draw.
Group J started with all the As, with Argentina being drawn with Algeria and Austria.
Tournament debutants Jordan then joined in to complete the group, one which Lionel Scaloni’s side will be confident of topping.
Reminder: Cristiano Ronaldo will be available to play the entire group stage
23:05 , Will CastleCristiano Ronaldo should have been suspended for the first two games of Portugal’s group stage after throwing an elbow into the back of Ireland defender Dara O’Shea and seeing red for violent conduct last month.
Instead, Fifa have let him off the hook. He’ll be available to face all of Uzbekistan, Colombia and the winner of the inter-continental play-off, which will be one of DR Congo, Jamaica and New Caledonia.
For more on Ronaldo and his slap on the wrist, read Jamie Braidwood’s comment on the whole debacle:
Cristiano Ronaldo has escaped a World Cup ban and no one is surprised
Trump, Infantino and Ferdinand’s bad jokes: Inside Fifa’s shambolic and shameful 2026 World Cup draw
22:35 , Miguel Delaney in Washington DCRight at the start of events in Washington’s Kennedy Center, Fifa president Gianni Infantino warned “it’s not a normal draw”.
That was saying something. It featured extremely politicised interpretations of the most grave situations in the world, from Gaza to Kosovo, which started to look a lot like propaganda.
It is a tragedy for football that Fifa – the body that is supposed to serve the game – has resorted to this. Somehow, another draw.
The 2026 World Cup draw ultimately just formed an utterly dismal spectacle.
Trump, Infantino and Ferdinand’s bad jokes: Inside Fifa’s shameful World Cup draw
What are the venues for each group?
22:05 , Will CastleGroup A: Guadalajara, Monterrey, Mexico City (Mexico), Atlanta (US)
Group B: Toronto, Vancouver (Canada), Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle (US)
Group C: Atlanta, Boston, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia (US)
Group D: Vancouver (Canada), Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle (US)
Group E: Toronto (Canada), Houston, Kansas, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia (US)
Group F: Monterrey (Mexico), Dallas, Houston, Kansas (US)
Group G: Vancouver (Canada), Los Angeles, Seattle (US)
Group H: Guadalajara (Mexico), Atlanta, Houston, Miami (US)
Group I: Toronto (Canada), Boston, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia (US)
Group J: Dallas, Kansas, San Francisco (US)
Group K: Guadalajara, Mexico City (Mexico), Atlanta, Houston, Miami (US)
Group L: Toronto (Canada), Dallas, New York/New Jersey, Boston, Philadelphia (US)
When will the World Cup fixtures be revealed?
21:45 , Will CastleThe draw for the 2026 Fifa World Cup has been made with all nations aware of their group opponents — but all will have to wait to find out exactly where and when they will be in action.
While the venues for games in the groups containing the three host nations — Mexico in Group A, Canada in Group B and the USA in Group D — have already been confirmed, the rest have to wait for both the stadium and kick-off time for each fixture to be confirmed.
Fifa will reveal the full match schedule on Saturday 6 December with a live streamed event held from 5pm GMT (midday local time).
How have the host nations fared?
21:25 , Will CastleThe United States, Canada and Mexico were the first three teams to come out of the pot and go into their pre-assigned groups, drawn by their respective world leaders.
In Group A, Mexico will face South Africa in their first game, who have not played in the World Cup since hosting the tournament in 2010. They will also play South Korea and the winner of Uefa Play-off D, which could be the Republic of Ireland. Not too shabby, but some potentially tricky matchups.
The United States have a comparatively easier group and will likely be favourites to top Group C. They have been drawn with Paraguay and Australia, and will also face to winner of Uefa Play-off C.
Canada have arguably the toughest task of the hosts in Group B. They’ve been drawn with Switzerland and 2022 hosts Qatar, but could well have Italy in their group through Uefa Play-off A.
Alan Shearer reacts to England's World Cup draw
21:05 , Will Castle“It’s a decent draw for England, it could have been tougher, it could have been easier,” Alan Shearer said via Betfair.
“The route, if things go as planned… which never happens, is a tough one. It’s a big if, things have to go to plan for England and other teams for the route to the final that people are talking about, but if that is the case then it is a tough draw from the quarterfinals onwards.
“But overall, I think the draw is decent, I wouldn’t go overboard and say it’s a brilliant draw.
“It’s a tough opener against Croatia, having played them so many times, but ultimately, we have to be confident that we can get through, it would be pretty bad if we didn’t get through to the knockouts, but having seen the draw, I’m absolutely confident that England will get through.”
England’s potential route to 2026 World Cup final
20:45 , Will CastleEngland’s possible route to the 2026 Fifa World Cup final has been revealed after the draw was made in Washington DC.
Manager Thomas Tuchel will take England into his first tournament in charge hoping to end a 60-year wait for World Cup glory after England’s last triumph on home soil in 2026.
Beaten finalists at the last two Euros, Tuchel’s side again breezed through qualifying with captain Harry Kane and others in fine scoring form, earning a spot as top seeds ahead of the draw.
After being drawn in Group L, England will face Croatia, Panama and Ghana in their three group fixtures. The venues and kick-off times for these games will be confirmed on Saturday.
Should they top the group, as might be expected of a side ranked fourth in the world, they will face a third-place finisher in Groups E/H/I/J/K in the round of 32.
England’s full route to the final:
England’s potential route to 2026 World Cup final revealed after draw
Scotland set up for blockbuster clash with Brazil
20:25 , Will CastleScotland do not have an easy group. While their opening match against Haiti will be a huge opportunity for them to bag their first win at a major tournament this century.
But after that, things get tricky. Morocco showed what they could do in Qatar by reaching the semi-finals and Brazil are, well, Brazil. It’s a daunting but undoubtedly tantalising matchup.
Samba football versus Clarke-ball. Inject it into my veins.
What's the 'group of death'?
20:05 , Will CastleAs was expected/enforced by the changes Fifa made to how the draw is conducted, there isn’t too much scope for a ‘group of death’.
But if we were going to pick one, Group I would probably take the crown. So far made up of France, Senegal and Erling Haaland’s Norway, you feel the 2018 champions don’t have it particularly easy.
The fourth nation to join the group will be the winner of Play-Off, one of Iraq, Bolivia and Suriname. Of course, they’ll do anything to get to North America next summer - but you fear they may be the group punching bag.
Scotland’s potential route to 2026 World Cup final after draw revealed
19:44 , Will CastleScotland’s possible route to the 2026 Fifa World Cup final has been revealed after the draw was made in Washington DC.
The Scots are raring for their first World Cup since 1998, one they qualified for in the most dramatic fashion when they scored two stoppage-time stunners to pip Denmark to top spot in their final Group C qualifier.
Napoli talisman Scott McTominay will lead the charge for the Tartan Army, who will be dreaming of watching their nation win a game at a major tournament having experienced only losses and draws at the past two Euros.
And while such an outcome might satisfy the travelling fans, they now know Scotland’s theoretical route to the biggest match in the four-year football calendar should Steve Clarke’s side blow all expectations out of the water.
After being drawn in Group C, Scotland will face Brazil, Morocco and Haiti in their three group fixtures. The venues for these games are yet to be confirmed.
Let the Tartan Army dream...
Scotland’s potential route to 2026 World Cup final after draw revealed
Dates and potential locations for Scotland's group-stage fixtures
19:36 , Will Castle13 June: Scotland vs Haiti (Gillette Stadium, Foxborough or MetLife Stadium, New Jersey)
18 June: Scotland vs Morocco (Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia or Gillette Stadium, Foxborough)
24 June: Scotland vs Brazil (Hard Rock Stadium, Miami or Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta)
Dates and potential locations for England's group-stage fixtures
19:35 , Will CastleJune 17: England vs Croatia (BMO Field, Toronto or AT&T Stadium, Arlington)
June 23: England vs Ghana (BMO Field, Toronto or Gillette Stadium, Foxborough)
June 27: England vs Panama (MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford or Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia)
Trump does his dance as the ceremony comes to an end
19:29 , Will CastleAs Village People closed out the show with their cult-hit YMCA, now co-opted by the United States government, Donald Trump did his fist-pump dance as we waive goodbye to this marathon of a draw.
That was complicated and exhausting - but we leave with the group stage in shape. We are now well and truly on the road to the World Cup!
Ready for the summer?
19:25 , Will Castle
World Cup 2026 draw in full
19:20 , Will CastleGroup A
Mexico
South Africa
Korea Republic
Denmark / Czech Republic / Republic of Ireland / North Macedonia
Group B
Canada
Italy / Wales / Bosnia-Herzegovina / Northern Ireland
Qatar
Switzerland
Group C
Brazil
Morocco
Haiti
Scotland
Group D
USA
Paraguay
Australia
Turkey / Slovakia / Kosovo / Romania
Group E
Germany
Curacao
Ivory Coast
Ecuador
Group F
Netherlands
Japan
Ukraine / Poland / Albania / Sweden
Tunisia
Group H
Spain
Cape Verde
Saudi Arabia
Uruguay
Group I
France
Senegal
Bolivia / Suriname / Iraq
Norway
Group J
Argentina
Algeria
Austria
Jordan
Group K
Portugal
New Caledonia / Jamaica / DR Congo
Uzbekistan
Colombia
Group L
England
Croatia
Ghana
Panama
And that's all she wrote!
19:09 , Will CastleThat was the most complicated draw I’ve ever experienced - but we’ve got through it!
Thomas Tuchel will probably be pretty happy with how that’s turned out. Not the easiest but definitely not the hardest.
Dates and potential locations of England’s group fixtures to come.
Group G
19:07 , Will CastleBelgium
Egypt
Iran
New Zealand
Group L - Ghana join England's group
19:06 , Will CastleEngland
Croatia
Ghana
Panama
Group K
19:06 , Will CastlePortugal
Winner Play-Off 1
Uzbekistan
Colombia
Group J
19:05 , Will CastleArgentina
Algeria
Austria
Jordan
Group F
19:04 , Will CastleNetherlands
Japan
Winner Play-Off B
Tunisia
Group D
19:04 , Will CastleUSA
Paraguay
Australia
Winner Play-Off C
Group H
19:02 , Will CastleSpain
Cape Verde
Saudi Arabia
Uruguay
Group I
19:02 , Will CastleFrance
Senegal
Winner Play-Off 2
Norway
Group E
19:01 , Will CastleGermany
Curacao
Ivory Coast
Ecuador
Haiti are Scotland's first opponents
19:01 , Will CastleScotland’s first World Cup match next summer will be against Haiti in Group C.
Group C
19:00 , Will CastleBrazil
Morocco
Haiti
Scotland
Group B
19:00 , Will CastleCanada
Winner Play-Off A
Qatar
Switzerland
Ireland could be in Group A
18:59 , Will CastleIf Ireland win their play-off, they will be in Group A.
Group A
18:59 , Will CastleMexico
South Africa
Korea Republic
Winner Play-Off D
Pot 4 teams next
18:57 , Will CastleWe’re nearly there. One more team for each group, and the 2026 World Cup draw will be complete.
Ireland could be the team that takes the Winner Play-Off D spot.
Norway join Group I
18:56 , Will CastleNorway are drawn into Group I with France and Senegal. That is looking like a tricky group.
Panama confirmed as England's third opponent in Group L
18:55 , Will CastleThat’s England’s third opponent! Panama join the Three Lions and Croatia in Group L.
Uzbekistan join Group K
18:54 , Will CastleDebutants Uzbekistan join Group K with Portugal and Colombia.
Algeria enter Group J
18:53 , Will CastleAlgeria joins Argentina and Austria in Group J. The World Cup holders will face Algeria in their opening game.
Saudi Arabia join Group H
18:52 , Will CastleSaudi Arabia join a similarly difficult group, drawn into Group H with Spain and Uruguay.
Scotland join Brazil and Morocco in Group C
18:51 , Will CastleAt last Group C has its third team - and it’s Scotland!
A tough draw for Steve Clarke’s side.
Egypt into Group G
18:51 , Will CastleAnother Group C skip - Egypt join Belgium and Iran in Group G.
Tunisia drawn in Group F
18:50 , Will CastleTunisia join the Netherlands and Japan, and Group C is still waiting for its third member.
Ivory Coast into Group E
18:50 , Will CastleAnother Group C skip sees Ivory Coast join Germany and Colombia in Group E.
Paraguay join Group D
18:49 , Will CastleParaguay are the third Pot 3 team out, but they skip Group C because two teams from the same confederation can’t be in the same group (apart from Europe).
They join the USA and Australia in Group D.
Qatar into Group B
18:48 , Will CastleQatar join Canada and Switzerland in Group B.
South Africa drawn into Group A
18:47 , Will CastleMaking their first appearance since hosting the 2010 World Cup, South Africa join Mexico and Korea Republic in Group A.
Their first game will be against Mexico.
Time for Pot 3
18:45 , Will CastleOnto the Pot 3 teams.
Because England already have two European teams in their group, they can’t get Scotland or Erling Haaland’s Norway.
Croatia join England in Group L
18:43 , Will CastleWith Colombia being drawn into Group K with Portugal, Croatia join England in Group L.
Croatia will be England’s first game at the World Cup.
Austria draw into Group J
18:42 , Will CastleAustria join World Cup holders Argentina.
Senegal into Group I
18:42 , Will CastleJust like in 2002, Senegal will face France in their opening game in Group I.
Uruguay drawn in Group H
18:41 , Will CastleUruguay join Spain in their group - two strong sides there.
Iran join Group G
18:41 , Will CastleIran, whose coach is at the Kennedy Center despite speculation of a boycott, joins Belgium in Group G.
Japan drawn into Group F
18:40 , Will CastleJapan go into position two in Group F, joining the Netherlands.
Ecuador go into Group E
18:39 , Will CastleEcuador join Germany in Group E.
Australia join Group D
18:39 , Will CastleAustralia join host nation USA in Group D.
Morocco drawn into Group C
18:38 , Will CastleMorocco will be Brazil’s first game at the World Cup in Group C.
Switzerland next
18:37 , Will CastleSwitzerland go into Group B with Canada in position four.
Korea Republic out of the pot
18:37 , Will CastleKorea Republic join Mexico in Group A.
Time for the Pot 2 teams
18:35 , Will CastleThe likes of Croatia, Senegal and Morocco are about to learn which group they’ll be in for next summer’s finals.
This is where is begins to get interesting!
England could face host nation in round of 16
18:33 , Will CastleEngland could potentially play Mexico in the round of 16.
England drawn into Group L
18:33 , Will CastleEngland have taken their place in Group L of the 2026 World Cup. They are in the same quadrant as Brazil.
France and Portugal take their places
18:32 , Will CastleFrance have been drawn into Group I, while Portugal are into Group K.
That means...
Spain and Argentina are out of the bowl
18:31 , Will CastleSpain go into Group H, while Argentina go into Group J - skipping one as the two top seeds can’t be in the same pathway.
Netherlands and Belgium next
18:30 , Will CastleThe Netherlands are next, they take the first place in Group F 🇳🇱
Belgium follow and go into Group G 🇧🇪
Germany drawn
18:29 , Will CastleGermany are next out of Pot 1 and they enter Group E 🇩🇪
AND WE'RE OFF!
18:28 , Will CastleBrazil are the first team out of Pot 1, and they will go into Group C.
Pot 4
18:27 , Will CastleFinally, pot 4 contains the six lowest ranked teams including three debutants, one of whom is the tiny Caribbean island of Curacao off the coast of Venezuela.
The six play-off winners will end up in this pot, eventually – four from the Uefa play-offs and two from the inter-continental play-offs. More about those fixtures shortly.
- Jordan (66) - debut
- Cape Verde (68) - debut
- Ghana (72)
- Curaçao (82) - debut
- Haiti (84)
- New Zealand (86)
- Uefa PO winner: Wales or Bosnia-Herzegovina or Italy or Northern Ireland
- Uefa PO winner: Ukraine or Sweden or Poland or Albania
- Uefa PO winner: Slovakia or Kosovo or Turkey or Romania
- Uefa PO winner: Czech Republic or Republic of Ireland or Denmark or North Macedonia
- IC play-off winner: Bolivia or Suriname or Iraq
- IC play-off winner: Jamaica or New Caledonia or DR Congo
Pot 3
18:27 , Will CastlePot 3 contains five African nations and two from the Middle East, as well as debutants Uzbekistan. Scotland are here too, back on the World Cup stage after 28 years away.
- Norway (29)
- Panama (30)
- Egypt (34)
- Algeria (35)
- Scotland (36)
- Paraguay (39)
- Tunisia (41)
- Ivory Coast (42)
- Uzbekistan (50) - debut
- Qatar (54)
- Saudi Arabia (60)
- South Africa (61)
Pot 2
18:26 , Will CastlePot 2 contains the next batch of qualified teams, based on world rankings. It is a diverse pot with only three European nations and most of the continental federations are representated here – Australia just snuck in.
- Croatia (10)
- Morocco (11)
- Colombia (13)
- Uruguay (16)
- Switzerland (17)
- Japan (18)
- Senegal (19)
- Iran (20)
- South Korea (22)
- Ecuador (23)
- Austria (24)
- Australia (26)
Pot 1
18:25 , Will CastleThey’re running through the pots in DC, so I guess we should do the same!
Pot 1 contains the top nine ranked nations, plus the three hosts. It is fair to say that those teams in pots 2, 3 and 4 might prefer taking on Canada – even if it is away from home – in the group stage, rather than meeting some of the heavyweights.
- Mexico (co-host) (Current Fifa ranking: 15)
- Canada (co-host) (27)
- United States (co-host) (14)
- Spain (1)
- Argentina (2)
- France (3)
- England (4)
- Brazil (5)
- Portugal (6)
- Netherlands (7)
- Belgium (8)
- Germany (9)
Shaq dwarfs Kevin Hart
18:24 , Will CastleThat was actually quite funny. The first funny moment of the entire ceremony.
Wayne Gretzky, Shaquille O'Neal and Tom Brady join the fun
18:23 , Will CastleThree American sporting greats join future Oscar-winner Rio Ferdinand on stage for the draw, which I think we are closing in on. For real, this time.
It’s a star-studded line-up that will be drawing the balls.
Draw rules and regs
18:19 , Will CastleRight, so the school children are explaining the rules and regs of the draw to Rio. This is how it will work.
Gone are the simple old days of 32 teams making eight groups of four, with the top two qualifying for the knockout rounds. Now, the 48 nations will be divided into 12 groups containing four teams each, one from each of four draw pots.
Pot one will contain the three host nations – USA, Canada and Mexico – plus the nine top countries in the Fifa world rankings who have qualified for the tournament. Already, Mexico have been assigned Group A, Canada to Group B and the USA to Group D.
Pots two, three and four will contain the next 12 best-ranked sides in order so that, theoretically, the groups will be balanced and the best teams will be kept separate until the knockout rounds.
Teams from the same confederation will be kept apart in the group stage, except for Europe where there are more teams (16) than groups. No group will have more than two European nations.
But wait, there's more
18:16 , Will CastleThere’s more. WHY IS THERE MORE?
Now Rio Ferdinand is acting with children.
Rio is on stage
18:15 , Will CastlePlease, just start the draw.
Rio Ferdinand, footballer and actor
18:13 , Will CastleOh, it gets worse. Rio Ferdinand is displaying some of the most cringe-worthy acting known to man in a screenplay with Gianni Infantino, Matthew McConaughey and Salma Hayek.
This is excruciating.
The draw is coming up!
18:11 , Will Castle“We’re ready for the rest!” THANK YOU, HEIDI KLUM!
Crowd interaction gone wrong
18:10 , Will CastleYG Marley - Bob Marley’s grandson - performs his viral hit “Praise Jah in the Moonlight” and does the classic “stop the track” to get the crowd to sing along, but *nobody* joins in.
I think the crowd are getting a bit sick of all these pre-draw festivities, it’s not just us at home.
Another musical performance
18:04 , Will CastleLauryn Hill’s here now. Sigh.
World Cup draw ceremony in pictures
18:02 , Will CastleAll power to the Spanish speakers among you, but I don’t have the facilities to translate Sanchez unfortunately!
So, here’s a few images from the ceremony so far.
One last video package
17:58 , Will CastleWe get one more over-produced mood-setting video package before Mexico legend Hugo Sanchez takes to the mic for an interview on the floor.
It was exciting when they threatened to do the draw for a minute there. Not long now, surely.
Off you pop
17:56 , Will Castle“Hopefully the draw will be finished for when the first match kicks off in June,” says BBC commentator Jonathan Pearce.
The three leaders pose with Infantino, and take a selfie, before finally vacating the stage.
The first balls are drawn
17:54 , Will CastleWe know where Canada, Mexico and the USA will be, and each leader is drawing their country’s ball before the real action begins.
Mexico are in Group A, Canada are in Group B, and the USA are in Group D.
Trump: 'I remember watching Pele'
17:53 , Will CastleDonald Trump says he remembers watching Pele for the Cosmos in his final remarks before the draw gets underway.
He also congratulates Infantino - again - for the “record-breaking” nature of this World Cup.
Time to get down to business!
The 2026 World Cup draw is coming up!
17:49 , Will CastleGianni Infantino tells the crowd that this will be the last time he’s on the stage for some time with the draw finally about to get underway!
He welcomes all three of the host nations’ leaders - Trump, Sheinbaum and Carney - who will conduct the draw.
Donald Trump's speech in full
17:44 , Will Castle"I'll wear it right now,” he said. “Thank you very much, this is truly one of the great honours of my life.
"And beyond awards, Gianni and I were discussing this, we saved millions and millions of lives. The Congo is an example: over 10m people killed, and it was heading for another 10m very quickly. The fact that we could do that... India, Pakistan, so many different wars that we were able to end – in some cases a little bit before they started, just right before they started. It was gonna be late, but we got them done.
"And it's such an honour to be with Gianni, I've known Gianni for so long. He's done such an incredible job, and I have to tell you: you've set new records on ticket sales, and not to bring that up, because we don't want to bring a thing like that up right now, but it's an awfully nice tribute to you and to the game of football – or, as we call it, soccer.
"That is an amazing thing. The numbers are beyond any numbers that anybody... even beyond what Gianni thought was possible. I want to thank, by the way, my family, my great First Lady – Melania, you're right here, and thank you very much.
"And I think you're gonna have an event the likes of which the world, maybe, has never seen, based on the enthusiasm I've seen. I've never seen anything like it."
Trump proceeded to thank co-hosts Canada and Mexico, before saying: "Most importantly, I just want to thank everybody. The world is a safer place now, the United States one year ago was not doing too well, and now I have to say: we're the hottest country anywhere in the world, and we're gonna keep it that way."
"Thank you all, have a great time. And Gianni, a tremendous honour, thank you."
The World Cup trophy is here!
17:42 , Will CastleNow this is what we wanted to see!
Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni, who of course lifted the trophy in 2022, brings it out onto stage before making some remarks in Spanish.
Donald Trump wins the Fifa Peace Prize
17:40 , Will CastleAfter a bit of backslapping from Infantino, Trump is sure to repay the favour by hailing the Fifa president, who he says has broken all these different records and brought unparalleled attention to the game.
“The world is a safer place,” he says. “A year ago, America was not doing so well. Now we’re the hottest country in the world and it’s going to stay that way.” That does speak to his climate change policy, to be fair.
To Trump’s credit, he was bang on two minute’s there.
Donald Trump wins the Fifa Peace Prize
17:36 , Will Castle“Like everyone here in the room, we see images of war all over the world. And like everyone we suffer for every child that dies, we cry for every mother that loses someone that she loves. We want to see hope, we want to see unity and we want to see a future,” Infantino said before giving Trump the floor.
Infantino then talks about how “lucky” he was to be present for some of the peace agreements around the world.
Donald Trump wins the Fifa Peace Prize
17:33 , Will CastleTrump receives a gold medal, a frankly horrifying trophy that looks like multiple hands appearing from the abyss trying to grope the earth, and a certificate that says Trump “promotes peace around the world”.
Donald Trump wins the Fifa Peace Prize
17:32 , Will CastleThere’s two minutes in the schedule for Trump’s remarks. Let’s see how long this actually goes.
Donald Trump wins the Fifa Peace Prize
17:31 , Will CastleThe very American voiceover hails Trump as the reason for “first real progress in the Middle East in decades”, saying he has brought peace between Israel and Palestine.
It’s also claimed that he has settled conflicts between DR Congo and Rwanda, Cambodia and Thailand, Kosovo and Serbia, India and Pakistan, Egypt and Ethiopia, and Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Donald Trump wins the Fifa Peace Prize
17:29 , Will CastleWho saw this coming?!
'A song for the summer'
17:28 , Will CastleWilliams and Scherzinger sing their rendition of “Desire” with it’s very “inspirational” lyrics before giving each other a big hug.
Just like Infantino with own introduction, Heidi Klum wasn’t particularly pleased with the somewhat tepid applause.
Hopefully we’ll be getting to the business of the draw soon enough.
Second musical performance coming up
17:23 , Will CastleTime for Nicole Scherzinger and Robbie Williams to belt out a tune.
Infantino plays conductor
17:22 , Will CastleGianni Infantino asks for all the Americans, Canadians and Mexicans in the crowd to do their own version of the U-S-A chant, for their country of course.
It’s standard stuff for the Americans but the other two forced chants fail to really hit the ear right - after all, it would sound a bit weird if Tuchel started going En-ga-land.
Infantino keeping humble
17:19 , Will Castle“This is like 104 Super Bowls in one month,” Infantino says as he goes on a big self-congratulating exercise.
He insists Fifa have the best presenters, best moderators, best artists, best draw assistants, best everything.
Infantino takes to the stage
17:16 , Will Castle“Hello. I didn’t hear you, hello!” Gianni Infantino doesn’t get the reaction he wanted as he steps onto the stage, greeted by hosts Kevin Hart and Heidi Klum.
Of course, one of his first remarks was to recognise his great chum Donald Trump, as well as the First Lady Melania Trump.
President of Mexico Claudia Sheinbaum and Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney are second and third in the running order.
Shades of Italia 90
17:12 , Will CastleThe World Cup trophy is displayed behind Bocelli as he lets out one great lasting note. It was a wonderful way to start the ceremony.
Getting tired, Donald?
17:09 , Will CastleDonald Trump is showing heavy eyelids, looking vaguely disinterested, eight minutes into the draw ceremony as Nessun Dorma reaches its crescendo.
Only got an hour and 52 minutes to go.
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