Good evening, everybody! Welcome to The 42′s live coverage of the draw for next year’s Fifa World Cup.

It’s all going down at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C, where Ireland will learn their potential opponents for next year’s big show should they qualify via the playoffs.

This… could take a while.

Andrea Bocelli has just performed, Kevin Hart has been doing his thing, and US president Donald Trump is expected to speak as well.

Enjoy!

The draw is streaming live on Fifa’s YouTube channel if you want to catch it while you’re out and about.

Fifa president Gianni Infantino just introducing the US president and First Lady here, to warm applause.

Infantino tells the American audience that the World Cup is like “100 Super Bowls in one month”.

He’s promising a huge show this evening, which probably doesn’t bode well for this writer’s chances of sneaking off at 7pm.

Infantino enjoying himself in the MC role at the moment, imploring American fans to chant ‘USA, USA’, Canadian fans to chant ‘CAN-A-DA’, and so on.

“Fifa is the official happiness provider for humanity since over 100 years,” says Infantino.

He describes next summer’s World Cup as “the greatest event that mankind has ever seen and will ever see”.

Okay, Chief.

Robbie Williams and Nicole Scherzinger onstage now to perform ‘Desire’, which is the ‘official Fifa anthem’. This tune is unlikely to threaten too many Spotify Wrappeds in 2026, I’ll tell you that much.

If you’re missing this, I’d just say that it’s playing out exactly as you’d anticipate a Fifa World Cup draw in Washington to play out.

We’re still a solid hour away from the teams actually being drawn, I reckon.

FIFA via Getty Images FIFA via Getty Images

Fifa now about to give US president Donald Trump its inaugural ‘Peace Prize’, which football’s governing body invented last week I believe.

The award is “presented on behalf of the billions of people who love this game, and want peace.”

Trump is being credited for achieving peace between, among other countries, Palestine and Israel, as well as Ukraine and Russia.

Some US marines now on hand with the trophy as Gianni Infantino is, for some reason, formally reintroduced to the stage.

And he invites Donald Trump to join him and collect his award.

Infantino also has a medal and a certificate for the US president as he serenades him with praise for “uniting the world”.

Heartwarming scenes here if you’re a peace fan.

FIFA via Getty Images FIFA via Getty Images

Trump delighted to have saved “millions and millions of lives”, and says he’s glad to have ended so many wars, a few of them before they even started.

He describes the award as one of the great honours of his life, and thanks his family and wife, Melania, as well as ‘Johnny’ (Gianni Infantino).

“The world is a safer place now,” says the US president.

FIFA via Getty Images FIFA via Getty Images

Argentina’s World Cup-winning manager, Lionel Scaloni, was onstage, there, talking about the World Cup, and Brazil legend Roberto Carlos was then interviewed from the audience.

Scaloni spoke in Spanish and said, basically, the World Cup is great. Former Real Madrid star Roberto Carlos spoke in Spanish also, as opposed to Portuguese, and I didn’t quite catch what he said but I’ve a feeling it was along the lines of ‘the World Cup is great’.

He backs former Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti to lead Brazil to glory at the 2026 competition. Brazil, five-time World Cup winners, haven’t done it since 2022 — the last time Ireland participated.

We’re getting ready for the actual draw, here, far earlier than I expected!

Gianni Infantino: a great lad.

The respective leaders of co-hosts USA, Canada and Mexico — Donald Trump, Mark Carney and Claudia Sheinbaum — will perform the draw.

But surely not without first being asked how great the World Cup is?

Of course not, here they go.

Trump, who recalls watching Pele (“I assume one of the greats”) playing for the New York Cosmos, says American football should change its name and that, when you really think about it, soccer is actually football because the players use their feet to kick the ball.

Alright, it’s draw time, I think.

The co-hosts will first be assigned groups.

Mark Carney gets us underway — and he pulls his native Canada out of the hat. They’re put in Group B.

Claudia Sheinbaum pulls out her own Mexico, and into Group A they go.

Donald Trump is next, USA are the only remaining option, and they get Group D.

Gianni Infantino now pausing proceedings to take a selfie with the three national leaders.

We’re watching a promo video now before the rest of the draw begins in earnest, so you’re not missing anything.

And now Mexican football legend Hugo Sanchez is being interviewed.

There’s a fair chance this will be stretched out to an extent never seen before.

New Jersey native Lauryn Hill now performing.

I was so naive in thinking the draw would just kind of… happen.

USA, Canada and Mexico have been placed in groups. That happened around 10 minutes ago — and that’s been it so far.

Doo Wop (That Thing) is an absolute banger, to be fair.

Two-time Women’s World Cup winner Carli Lloyd now being interviewed.

An incredibly long preamble video now featuring Rio Ferdinand, Matthew McConaughey, and Salma Hayek.

Ferdinand is going to do the draw, it seems.

They’ve cut away to another preamble video. My goodness.

I’ve tried to refrain from slamming this draw — what’s the point, right? — but this particular promo vid has broken me. I’m having a very bad time indeed.

Hockey’s ‘Great One’, Wayne Gretzky, joins Ferdinand and Samantha Johnson onstage.

Here comes New York Yankee Aaron Judge, too.

And here’s Shaquille O’Neal. And Tom Brady!

We’ll have a word from all of them before we get to the draw, will we? We will of course.

Shaq says they call him “David Blackham” in the football world. Kevin Hart later appears to get genuinely annoyed with the big man as he messes around onstage, shouting, “This is a serious thing, man! It’s the draw!”

DRAW TIME! Top seeds first.

Tom Brady draws Brazil out of the hat, into Group C for the five-time champs. Next up is Germany, four-time champions, and they’re in Group E.

Netherlands first into Group F.

Belgium in Group G.

Group H for 2010 champions Spain.

France in Group I. Argentina, reigning champs, into Group J.

Portugal in Group K. And England are the last top seeds out, they’ll be in Group L.

And now a word from Iker Casillas in the crowd.

Onto the second seeds, or Pot 2. Ireland are in Pot 4 by the way.

Korea Republic join Mexico in Group A, Canada get Switzerland in Group B, and Brazil will open Group C against Morocco — a potential cracker, that one!

The USA will face Australia in Group D. Ecuador join Germany in Group E.

Japan head into Group F with the Netherlands.

Iran join the Belgians in Group G.

Uruguay land in with Spain in Group H.

France v Senegal in Group I! What a game. That will be the group opener, too. Shades of 2002.

Argentina get Austria, and Portugal get Colombia, and England will open their tournament against Croatia!

We’re onto Pot 3, which includes Scotland.

Scotland get Brazil and Morocco! And England get Panama along with Croatia in their group.

France, Senegal and Norway in Group I — what a group that is.

The suss after the Pot 3 teams have been drawn:

Group A: Mexico, Korea, South Africa.

Group B: Canada, Switzerland and Qatar.

Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Scotland.

Group D: USA, Australia, Paraguay.

Group E: Germany, Ecuador, Côte d’Ivoire.

Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia.

Group G: Belgium, Iran, Egypt.

Group H: Spain, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia.

Group I: France, Senegal, Norway.

Group J: Argentina, Austria, Algeria.

Group K: Portugal, Colombia, Uzbekistan.

Group L: England, Croatia, Panama.

Onto Pot 4, which is where Ireland will learn their potential World Cup fate!

Heimir Halgrimsson’s side must first beat Czechia away and, most likely, Denmark at home in order to seal their qualification.

But hey, it’s fun to be involved in the draw at the same time, isn’t it?

Ireland will be in Group A if they qualify, alongside Mexico, Korea Republic and South Africa.

Northern Ireland, should they qualify, will be in Canada’s Group B, along with Switzerland and Qatar.

It’ll be one of Northern Ireland/Italy/Wales/Bosnia.

Group A: Mexico, Korea, South Africa — and Ireland/Czechia/Denmark/North Macedonia.

Group B: Canada, Switzerland, Qatar — and Northern Ireland/Italy/Wales/Bosnia.

Here we go, folks!

Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Scotland, Haiti.

Group D: USA, Australia, Paraguay — and Turkey/Romania/Slovakia/Kosovo.

Group E: Germany, Ecuador, Côte d’Ivoire, Curaçao.

Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia — and Ukraine/Sweden/Poland/Albania.

Group G: Belgium, Iran, Egypt, New Zealand.

Group H: Spain, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Cape Verde.

Group I: France, Senegal, Norway — and Iraq/Bolivia/Suriname.

Group J: Argentina, Austria, Algeria, Jordan.

Group K: Portugal, Colombia, Uzbekistan — and Congo DR/Jamaica/New Caledonia.

Group L: England, Croatia, Panama, Ghana.

So, Ireland — if they make it — will face co-hosts Mexico, the Korea Republic, and South Africa in Group A of the World Cup.

Northern Ireland or Wales, if they make it, will be in Group B alongside Canada, Switzerland and Qatar.

Scotland have been drawn with Brazil, Morocco and Haiti in Group C.

And England will face Croatia, Panama and Ghana in Group L.

And that’s your lot, really!

That’s all from our live coverage of the World Cup draw. That was… quite something.

Some tasty groups in there for sure, though.

Keep an eye on The 42 for reaction, with Gavin Cooney due to speak with Ireland boss Heimir Halgrimsson!

Take care, all, and have a great weekend!