The draw for the 2026 World Cup – the biggest edition of football’s global showpiece ever held – takes place in Washington on Friday, with US President Donald Trump expected to feature prominently in proceedings.

The expanded 48-team tournament – up from the 32-nation field that competed at the 2022 Qatar World Cup – will be played across the United States, Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19 next year.

Trump’s attendance – confirmed by the White House on Tuesday – at the Kennedy Center ceremony underscores his rapport with FIFA chief Gianni Infantino, who has made several visits to the White House and even joined Trump at international summits in the years since the joint North American bid was awarded the tournament in 2018.

Infantino’s close relationship with Trump is widel

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