Key events
Alexander Abnos writes: At the JFK centre on behalf of the Guardian’s American bureau, Alexander tells us: “I have made it through the insane security line and ended up arriving right next to Mexico president Claudia Scheinbaum. She walked right past me.
“Moments later, I’ve been prevented from entering the media center because President Trump is too close to arrival. A group of about 20 or 30 journalists are gathered in a group outside waiting to get inside, but we are being held up by Secret Service and police.”
All the same, it’s going to be a terrific tournament, isn’t it? Thoughts and prayers, Alex. Thoughts and prayers.
The inaugural Fifa peace prize II: I subsequently asked Google Gemini to come up with 10 good reasons why President Trump should not win the gong and here is the response. Over to you Gianni …
Undermining International Institutions
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Critics point to the withdrawal of the US from significant multilateral agreements, such as the Paris Climate Accord and the Iran Nuclear Deal (JCPOA), arguing these actions destabilized global cooperation and consensus.
Weakening Traditional Alliances
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His “America first” policy and frequent public criticism of long-standing allies (e.g., NATO members, countries in Europe and Asia) are cited as disrupting global unity and fraternity—a core theme of the Fifa prize.
Transactional diplomacy over long-term peace
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Critics argue his diplomatic style is excessively transactional, prioritizing immediate political or economic wins over addressing the root causes of conflict or establishing durable, institutional peace processes.
Escalating geopolitical tensions
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Decisions such as the escalation of trade wars, increased tensions with countries like China and Iran, and the use of hard-power threats in regions like Latin America (e.g., towards Colombia or Venezuela) are seen as fostering conflict rather than reducing it.
Withdrawing from open borders and refugee principles
Disdain for human rights and democratic norms
Ignoring climate change as a peace threat
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Major international peace awards often recognize climate change as a key driver of future conflict (resource wars, mass migration). His administration’s strong policy stance against recognizing climate change is argued to be disqualifying.
Internal rhetoric of division and disunity
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Peace prizes typically look for a candidate whose overall message promotes harmony. Critics argue his political rhetoric, often characterized by division and attacks on the media and political opponents, is fundamentally at odds with the concept of a peace prize.
Controversial lobbying and self-promotion:
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The perception of an aggressive, public campaign to obtain international recognition, coupled with a history of criticizing committees that do not award him, is viewed by some as violating the “unwritten code” of quiet humility often associated with such honors.
Instability of diplomatic achievements:
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While the Abraham Accords are recognized, critics argue that many of his claimed peace efforts (like those with North Korea or in other regions) have not resulted in verifiable, sustained, or irreversible demilitarization or de-escalation, making them potentially temporary or fragile.
The inaugural Fifa peace prize: While nobody knows for certain who is going to win this prestigious gong, there is one white-hot favourite. Earlier today while messing around with the Artificial Intelligence tool, Google Gemini, I asked it to provide me with 10 good reasons why President Donald Trump would be a worthy winner. Here’s what it came up with and I cannot stress enough that these are not my words or opinions, but those of our AI overlords.
Brokering Peace in the Middle East
Facilitating the Abraham Accords
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Initiating and mediating the normalization of relations between Israel and several Arab nations (UAE, Bahrain, Sudan, Morocco, and Kosovo), a major shift in decades of Middle East foreign policy.
Ending Specific International Conflicts
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The administration has claimed responsibility for mediating and ending several armed conflicts globally, including agreements between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda, and a joint declaration between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Promoting a “Peace Through Strength” doctrine
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Advocates argue his foreign policy approach, which prioritizes strong deterrence and decisive action, ultimately leads to peace by discouraging potential adversaries from engaging in conflict.
Direct diplomacy with adversaries
De-escalating the India-Pakistan conflict
Focus on economic incentives for peace
Shifting the paradigm of conflict resolution
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He defied traditional foreign policy assumptions by achieving normalization in the Middle East without first resolving the Israeli-Palestinian issue, demonstrating a new model for diplomatic progress.
Leadership in hostage release
Global unity through football (Fifa’s motto)
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The US will be a key host of the 2026 World Cup, and a major diplomatic achievement by the sitting US President could be seen to align with the award’s full name, “Fifa Peace Prize – Football Unites the World,” by showcasing global cooperation ahead of the major tournament.
Pot 1: Canada, Mexico, USA, Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany
Pot 2: Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, Iran, South Korea, Ecuador, Austria, Australia.
Pot 3: Norway, Panama, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Côte d’Ivoire, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa.
Pot 4: Jordan, Cape Verde, Ghana, Curaçao, Haiti, New Zealand, four European playoff teams, two intercontinental playoff teams.
How the World Cup draw works
John covered it earlier but to save you scrolling all the way down, here’s a reminder of how tonight’s draw works, courtesy of Tom Lutz.
How does the draw work?
The 48 teams have been divided into four pots containing 12 teams each. Pot 1 consists of the three co-hosts – USA, Mexico and Canada – along with the nine top teams in the current Fifa rankings. The next three pots were decided by the Fifa rankings, with the lowest-ranked qualified teams in Pot 4. The 12 groups for the World Cup will then be formed by one team from each pot (full pots listed later).
It can’t be that simple, eh?
No. There are still six qualification places to be decided via playoffs in late March, and teams involved in those matches have been placed in Pot 4. That means a team such as Italy will be ostensibly the weakest opponents in a group, even though they have won the World Cup four times and are ranked No 12 in the world, should they come through the European qualifying playoffs.
Teams from the same qualifying conference should, in theory, not be in the same group. But that is impossible for European teams as Uefa will have 16 teams in the draw. There will, though, be a maximum of two European teams in any group. In addition, the top four teams in the Fifa rankings – Spain, Argentina, France and England – cannot face each other until the semi-finals (of course, they have to make it there first), provided they win their groups.
Tonight’s co-presenters: The experienced, steady pair of steady pairs of hands that are Heidi Klum and Kevin Hart will be chairing proceedings from Washington. Given that Klum used to be a supermodel and Hart is famously diminutive in stature, we could be about to bear witness to the greatest disparity in height between two co-hosts of a major televised ceremony since Mick Fleetwood and Samantha Fox presented the 1989 Brit Awards. Here’s hoping today’s World Cup draw goes a little more smoothly than that particularly shambolic affair.
Hello everybody. With less than an hour to go until the ceremony begins, I’m certainly excited and my nation, the Republic of Ireland, hasn’t even secured qualification yet. With apologies to the Czech Republic, Denmark and/or North Macedonia, it’s only a formality, I’m … er, sure.
Here’s Barry…
But before I do, a roll call of some of the managers who have jumped the queue: Saudi Arabia’s Herve Renard, an ever stylish man, Curacao’s Dick Advocaat, a lithe Ronald Koeman, the Dutch coach, Brazil’s Don Carlo Ancelotti, France’s eternal Didier Deschamps, Switzerland’s suave Murat Yakin. And many more….
Barry can guide you through the rest.
Before I step aside for the great Barry Glendenning, let’s remember this moment from the start of Rio Ferdinand’s media career.
Peter Oh gets in touch: “Good morning from chilly and foggy northern California! Honestly, who needs the Improvised Shakespeare Company when the England national team are coming to perform in America?”
Hard to get your head round the concept of improvised Shakespeare, right? Sort of defeats the whole point. I am 10 minutes from the original Globe; did they do an improv night?
Steven gets in touch: “Actually, the building in that photo is of the Watergate Hotel, yes that Watergate, it’s about a 10-minute walk on a warm day from the Watergate to the Ken Cen. Just an FYI from a loyal Washington, DC reader of the Guardian.”
Yes, that’s correct. A few journalists of my acquaintance were blown over by it being that Watergate Hotel.
Steven Grundy gets in touch: “I was just wondering what your favourite World Cup of all time is? I was born in 1988, so as a Scot, 1998 will always be a nice memory. I guess Brazil 1-7 Germany is the most surreal game I have ever watched. However, overall, I guess my favourite tournament was 201, I especially enjoyed the Belgium vs Japan game.”
I suppose, as a young fan, 1986 was great, and so was 1990; I loved that Italy team. USA 94 was, as they say, a blast; up all night. I saw every game. France 1998 I was in Australia so I missed a fair bit. In my professional career, 2006 was a fine tournament, and I was at both 2010 and 2014 from start to finish; very happy memories of both. Brazil in 2014 was a good tournament spoiled by a bad final, and the other semi-final from the 7-1 (a game I watched in a very angry bar in Sao Paulo), was Argentina v Netherlands, one of the worst games ever played.
Alex Abnos is still out in the cold.
Of course, the event we are all waiting for is to see who the mystery winner of the inaugural peace prize will be? The planet is on tenterhooks. Further details from Daniel Boffey here.
The background of the chair of the committee tasked with coming up with a proposal on the process may not convince everyone that he will speak truth to power either.
He is Zaw Zaw, the 59-year-old president of the Myanmar football federation for the past two decades who, along with his company, Max Myanmar, was the subject of EU and US economic sanctions at various points between 2009 and 2016.
The US state department described him in a press release in 2009 as one of the “cronies” of Myanmar’s brutal ruling military junta as it suppressed democracy and violated human rights.
Where’s the oddest place you’ve watched a World Cup draw? I’ll start, for 2010’s draw, in December 2009, I watched it on BBC World in a Palestinian bar in Jerusalem, Beckham, Charlize Theron and all on a very grainy TV screen.
This being 2025, we’re expecting a slick, high concept draw, with perhaps a bit of tack lobbed in, though can it live up to previous oddities?
What of Mother England? Thomas Tuchel has been impressive so far but can he counter the Englishman’s fear of playing in hot weather?
As the globe turns its attentions to Washington DC, perhaps perspective can be regained by Football Daily’s considerations of Saturday’s East Midlands derby?
Rio Ferdinand will be joined by Sam Johnson and a host of sporting greats, including Tom Brady, Wayne Gretzky, Aaron Judge and Shaquille O’Neal, as the draw conductor.
“He had this to say on the ticket prices: “‘I am a man of the people in terms of I’m from a place where we were always hoping for things to be accessible. I know that the people behind the scenes at FIFA are aiming and working to something like that now, whether they get there for that remains to be seen.”
Last month, talking to LBC’s Tom Swarbrick, the man of the people said this about his move to Dubai: “If things like the health service, for example, was absolutely flying and working perfectly well then I think people wouldn’t mind paying tax.”
House-keeping: the draw itself will go at 5.55pm UK time/12.55pm ET. It will be groups ONLY. Cities and kick-off times will be announced on Saturday at 5pm UK time/Midday ET.
Update from Kennedy Center
Alexander Abnos
“The security line is insanely backed up. A huge huddle of journalists, host city officials, basically anyone with a credential are huddle together in the wind and snow waiting to get through security. I am not having fun.”
What entertainment awaits us? The question of how the Village People became the house band of the Trumpist is a complicated one.
Memories of 1994’s draw, held in Las Vegas, where this draw was purported to be, via ESPN and Roger Bennett, from 2014.
“The star-studded event took place at Caesars Palace on the Las Vegas Strip. A cast of thousands including Barry Manilow, Julio Iglesias, Faye Dunaway and Dick Clark were involved in a fantastical affair that the great Bob Ley described being as if “Salvador Dali could produce a state lottery.”
“Fittingly for such a surreal occasion, it was Robin Williams who stole the spotlight. First, the comedian described the draw bracket as “the world’s biggest keno game” and then proceeded to refer repeatedly to Sepp Blatter as “Sepp Bladder,” even after the then-FIFA general secretary corrected him, insisting, “This is not a comedy!””
Via Wiki:
The Navy contacted group manager Henri Belolo to use the song In The Navy in a recruiting advertising campaign for television and radio. Belolo gave the rights free on condition that the Navy help them shoot the music video. Less than a month later, the Village group arrived at Naval Base San Diego where the Navy provided them with access to film on the deck of the berthed frigate USS Reasoner; in the end, the Navy did not use the video, choosing to remain with the traditional “Anchors Aweigh“.[
Victor Willis is the sole remaining original member of the Village People.
John in New York gets in touch: “I bought tickets for a group game in Philadelphia so I’m excited to find out which teams I will be going to see. There is part of me worried that it will be Jordan v Panama or something like that. But on the other hand, a game like that might the occasion these teams first World Cup win, it’s a second group game so it might be a team qualifying for the knockout stages for the first time.
“A game with a team like Ecuador or Colombia would be great to see as their fans would bring a lot color & support. I have worked with guys from these countries who were massive soccer fans and would love to see their country at a World Cup game but with the climate in the United States I don’t know if they will want to attend and deal with the likely hassle. I’m a naturalized American citizen from Ireland with an American wife and two children born here. I will be able to travel to a game without any problems. A Naturalized Ecuadorean or Colombian in the same position as me may have to deal with ICE asking them to prove that their allowed to be in the country. Will they want to deal with that hassle in order to go to a game?”
Justin Kavanagh gets in touch: “An armed man, a sniffer dog, and a portaloo. That photo doesn’t bode well for the World Cup ahead of us next summer. I suspect that the average fan (i.e. those not in the corporate seats) will be treated with the same contempt as those journalists are feeling right now, standing waiting to do their job in the snow. I loved the last World Cup held in America, when it proved a weird but welcoming country. But this time round the tournament feels like yet another money grab for the millionaire class… I think I’d rather take a boating holiday off the coast of Venezuela than fork thousands into the coffers of Infantino & his buddy with the blond bouffant.”
Those scenes remind of security at JFK airport, an almost deliberately hostile environment.
Krishna gets in touch: “Is there any plans to have the match balls in a particular shade of orange? Then a Procol Harum tribute band can compose a WC anthem “a proper shade of peach” or “a tighter coat of tangerine”.”
The Kennedy Center for Performing Arts will host the show. What’s on at the venue otherwise? Events include:
The Improvised Shakespeare Company: Based on one audience suggestion (a title of a show that has never been written), The Improvised Shakespeare Company® creates a brand new, fully improvised Shakespearean masterpiece right before your eyes!
And:
Monty Python’s Spamalot: “Everything that makes a great knight in the theater is here, from flying cows to killer rabbits, British royalty to French taunters, dancing girls, rubbery shrubbery—and of course, the Lady of the Lake. Spamalot features well-known songs such as “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life,” “The Song That Goes Like This,” “Find Your Grail,” and more that have become beloved classics in the musical theater canon.”
America really loves Monty Python, rather a fading force in the UK these days. There’s a Norwegian blue gag in Erling Haaland somewhere or other.
Looks like the journalists will have the Secret Service run the rule over them.
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Benjamin gets in touch: “I am webmaster of www.national-football-teams.com !
“As you can imagine, draw day is quite something when international football is one of your things. I want to chip in on possible groups of death. These are the two of the hardest groups I could come up with:
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Argentina
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Morocco
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Norway
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Italy (If they qualify)
“And what about groups that sound really easy? Well, how about these:
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Canada
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Austria
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Qatar
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Cape Verde
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Belgium
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Iran
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South Africa
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Curacao
All of these groups would be possible in the same draw, and I guess those might feel a little unfair. On the other hand, I am exactly the sort of person who would love to see all these juicy matches!
Rogorn gets in touch: “One thing about the World Cup draw: I see that the hosts have chosen to give themselves (or Fifa has chosen for them) the advantage of having more days to complete the tournament (by being among the first teams to start playing) over the advantage to play last in the group stages, therefore knowing what results they need (and the third-place thing will be key). If you were in their places, which of these two advantages would you choose?
“One other thing: are the venues going to be drawn too, or will this be decided by the organising committee between today and tomorrow? And if so, which teams will be sent where (i.e., which teams will play in the USA as opposed to… not?)“
The venues come out as part of the draw, with fixtures confirmed on the Saturday.
Jamie Jackson
Pep Guardiola has been reflecting on next summer’s World Cup in America, pointing to his experience with Spain in the heat of America at the 1994 edition.
“United States in ‘94 we played in Dallas [a 2-2 draw with South Korea] and wow. We were out [as substitutes or squad members] and maybe it would have been better to be inside like Thomas [Tuchel] has decided [for England]. In some states and in Mexico in summer, it’s hot. A lot of drinks are needed.”
There has been talk Tuchel will keep his subs in the cooler/in the dressing-room until it’s time to call on them.
We will soon know who landed a “group of death”, though third place qualification from groups does rather reduce the deadliness. Will Unwin has been pruning his permutations.
David Hytner hopes the draw can be about the football. Let’s hope so, too.
It can sound corny when players and managers talk about fulfilling childhood dreams at the World Cup. But the emotion during qualification has been real. The scenes, for example, when Scotland secured their first spot at a finals since France 98 with the epic Hampden Park victory over Denmark will live for ever. And how about when Cape Verde got there with the home win over Eswatini? Africa had five places for Qatar 22. They now have a guaranteed nine. It will be 10 if the Democratic Republic of the Congo win their playoff final against New Caledonia or Jamaica.
Here are the pots.
Via the Fifa media release, here’s what we can expect on the razzmatazz front.
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Global icons Heidi Klum and Kevin Hart to co-host final draw show at Kennedy Center in Washington DC
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Actor and producer Danny Ramirez to engage football greats in attendance, bringing Hollywood flair
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Live performances to be delivered by legendary maestro Andrea Bocelli, Village People and global music superstar Robbie Williams, who will be joined by award-winning multi-hyphenate Nicole Scherzinger
Lunchtime listening: Jonathan Liew on the political hue of next summer.
The technicalities are here, as picked through by Tom Lutz.
And how does the actual draw work?
The 48 teams have been divided into four pots containing 12 teams each. Pot 1 consists of the three co-hosts – USA, Mexico and Canada – along with the nine top teams in the current Fifa rankings. The next three pots were decided by the Fifa rankings, with the lowest-ranked qualified teams in Pot 4. The 12 groups for the World Cup will then be formed by one team from each pot (full pots listed later).
Sounds simple!
Well, not quite. There are still six qualification places to be decided via playoffs in late March, and teams involved in those matches have been placed in Pot 4. That means a team such as Italy will be ostensibly the weakest opponents in a group, even though they have won the World Cup four times and are ranked No 12 in the world, should they come through the European qualifying playoffs. Teams from the same qualifying conference should, in theory, not be in the same group. But that is impossible for European teams as Uefa will have 16 teams in the draw. There will, though, be a maximum of two European teams in any group. In addition, the top four teams in the Fifa rankings – Spain, Argentina, France and England – cannot face each other until the semi-finals (of course, they have to make it there first), provided they win their groups.
Preamble
Welcome to our live coverage of the draw for the World Cup 2026 finals. The USA, Canada and Mexico beckon, as perhaps do your travel plans. With 48 teams to be drawn, there will be plenty to get across, not least because not all of the finalists have yet been decided. We’re expecting glitz and glamour, and that’s just from Rio Ferdinand and Gianni Infantino, so join as we bring the latest from Washington DC. The town’s most famous semi-resident will make his usual splash, no doubt.
