The fate of the 2026 FIFA World Cup clashes depends on the hands of sports legends that are not part of the game!
On Wednesday, December 3, it was announced that NFL legend Tom Brady, basketball star Shaquille O'Neal, hockey's Wayne Gretzky and current All-Star baseball player Aaron Judge will assist with the World Cup draw on Friday in Washington, DC.
FIFA announced on Wednesday the lineup of current and former sports stars as well as entertainers for the Kennedy Center event, which will reveal the group-stage matchups for the first-ever 48-team World Cup.
The World Cup, expanded from 32 teams, is being hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, 2026. Matches will be played at 16 venues, including three in Mexico and two in Canada.
Furthermore, the draw will sort the teams into 12 groups of four. The top two teams from each group and the eight best third-place teams will advance to the knockout stage.
With 42 teams already qualified, 22 others will be competing in playoffs for the final six berths in the coming months.
English Premier League Hall of Fame member Rio Ferdinand, a former Manchester United captain with 81 England caps, will conduct the draw. The co-conductor is broadcaster Samantha Johnson.
The four sports legends will serve as assistants, each assigned one pot and picking the names of teams assigned to a group, from Group A to L.
Brady, who won seven Super Bowls before he retired, said in the news release, "Being part of the final draw for the FIFA World Cup is an incredible honor—it's the kind of global stage every athlete dreams of."
"I'm excited to help set the path for a tournament that brings the world together like nothing else," he added.
Moreover, Eli Manning, a two-time Super Bowl champion with the New York Giants, is the red carpet host for Friday's event.
