President Donald Trump highlighted the collaboration among the U.S., Canada, and Mexico during the World Cup draw held on Friday. This event, which took place at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., comes amid ongoing tensions regarding North American trade and immigration policies that could overshadow the upcoming global soccer tournament.

"We’ve worked closely with those two countries, and the coordination and friendship and relationship has been outstanding," Trump said. He expressed optimism about the tournament, stating, "I think you’re going to have an event the likes of which maybe the world has never seen."

Alongside Trump were Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. The three leaders participated in the ceremony and later met privately for 45 minutes. Trump indicated he would address trade and immigration during their discussions. Despite recent criticisms of Canada and Mexico regarding tariffs and immigration policies, Trump described their relationship as "tremendous."

Following their meeting, Carney’s office announced that the leaders agreed to continue collaborating on the U.S.-Canada-Mexico Agreement, a trade deal that is set for review next year. The draw assigned matchups for the tournament, with the U.S. facing Paraguay and Australia, Canada competing against Qatar and Switzerland, and Mexico up against South Africa and South Korea. Each host nation will also include the winner of a European play-in game in their initial group.

FIFA is expected to announce the specific locations for the matches on Saturday. The event also served as a platform for Trump, who received a newly created FIFA peace prize during the ceremony. He called the award "truly one of the great honors of my life."

The World Cup is anticipated to attract a large number of spectators and international fans to North America, with organizers expecting significant economic benefits for the 16 host cities, 11 of which are in the U.S. Trump remarked, "Nobody’s ever sold as many tickets, and you’re still a long way from that ball being kicked down the field."

However, the administration's strict immigration policies pose challenges to the welcoming atmosphere that the World Cup aims to create. Critics argue that the administration's actions have undermined the spirit of global unity associated with the tournament. In June, the U.S. restricted entry for travelers from 19 countries and has since tightened immigration measures following a violent incident involving an Afghan national.

Trump has also expressed concerns about safety in certain areas, threatening to relocate World Cup games from the Boston area if necessary. The games are scheduled to take place in Foxborough, a suburb of Boston.

Despite the challenges, Trump has been actively involved in the planning and promotion of the tournament, frequently meeting with FIFA President Gianni Infantino. A World Cup task force has been established to address logistical and security issues, with Trump serving as chair and Andrew Giuliani, son of Trump ally Rudy Giuliani, as executive director.

As of now, 42 of the 48 qualifying countries for the World Cup have been determined, with playoffs in March set to finalize the remaining spots. The U.S. men’s national team, ranked 14th in the world, has never won a World Cup, while the U.S. women’s national team holds the record for the most World Cup victories with four titles.

The draw featured co-hosts comedian Kevin Hart, supermodel Heidi Klum, and actor Danny Ramirez, along with performances from artists like Robbie Williams and Nicole Scherzinger. Trump has a history of using sports events to bolster his public image, having attended various high-profile sporting events and hosted international sports teams at the White House.