Elizabeth Flores, USA TODAYWed, December 3, 2025 at 9:03 PM UTC·2 min readThe FIFA World Cup 2026 draw, which will take place at the iconic John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on December 5, will feature a star-studded lineup of athletes assisting former England captain Rio Ferdinand.
The event, which will be broadcast on Fox, features Ferdinand and Samantha Johnson as hosts.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThey will have notable assistants for the draw, including seven-time NFL Super Bowl champion Tom Brady, four-time NBA championship winner and Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal, NHL Hall of Famer and four-time Stanley Cup champion Wayne Gretzky, and seven-time MLB All-Star Aaron Judge. Additionally, two-time NFL Super Bowl champion Eli Manning will serve as the red carpet host, making a special appearance to enhance the unique experience for fans watching.
“Being part of the Final Draw for the FIFA World Cup is an incredible honor—it's the kind of global stage that every athlete dreams of,” said Brady. “I’m excited to help pave the way for a tournament that unites the world like nothing else.”
The 2026 World Cup draw begins at 12 p.m. ET on Friday, December 5, and will be broadcast live on FOX and streamed on Fubo.
More: Which teams are qualified for 2026 World Cup? Full list, latest updates
Brazil – 23rd appearance
United States of America – 12th appearance
Mexico – 18th appearance
England – 17th appearance
Portugal – ninth appearance
France – 17th appearance
Spain – 17th appearance
Iran – seventh appearance
Switzerland – 13th appearance
Croatia – seventh appearance
Australia – seventh appearance
Morocco – seventh appearance
Austria – eighth appearance
Ecuador – fifth appearance
Senegal – fourth appearance
South Korea – 12th appearance
Japan – eighth appearance
Colombia – seventh appearance
Netherlands – 12th appearance
Germany – 21st appearance
Belgium – 15th appearance
Canada – third appearance
Saudi Arabia – seventh appearance
Uzbekistan – first appearance
Jordan – first appearance
Tunisia – seventh appearance
South Africa – fourth appearance
Ivory Coast – fourth appearance
Scotland – ninth appearance
Algeria – fifth appearance
New Zealand – third appearance
Paraguay – ninth appearance
Egypt – fourth appearance
Cape Verde – first appearance
Qatar – second appearance
Norway – fourth appearance
Panama – second appearance
Curacao – first appearance
Ghana – fifth appearance
Haiti – second appearance
1 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Brazil – 23rd appearance
1 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Brazil – 23rd appearance
2 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
United States of America – 12th appearance
3 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Mexico – 18th appearance
4 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
England – 17th appearance
5 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Portugal – ninth appearance
6 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
France – 17th appearance
7 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Spain – 17th appearance
8 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Iran – seventh appearance
9 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Switzerland – 13th appearance
10 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Croatia – seventh appearance
11 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Australia – seventh appearance
12 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Morocco – seventh appearance
13 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Austria – eighth appearance
14 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Ecuador – fifth appearance
15 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Senegal – fourth appearance
16 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
South Korea – 12th appearance
17 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Japan – eighth appearance
18 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Colombia – seventh appearance
19 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Netherlands – 12th appearance
20 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Germany – 21st appearance
21 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Belgium – 15th appearance
22 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Canada – third appearance
23 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Saudi Arabia – seventh appearance
24 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Uzbekistan – first appearance
25 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Jordan – first appearance
26 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Tunisia – seventh appearance
27 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
South Africa – fourth appearance
28 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Ivory Coast – fourth appearance
29 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Scotland – ninth appearance
30 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Algeria – fifth appearance
31 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
New Zealand – third appearance
32 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Paraguay – ninth appearance
33 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Egypt – fourth appearance
34 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Cape Verde – first appearance
35 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Qatar – second appearance
36 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Norway – fourth appearance
37 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Panama – second appearance
38 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Curacao – first appearance
39 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Ghana – fifth appearance
40 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Haiti – second appearance
When is the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
The final draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup will take place at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. on Friday, December 5.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHow to watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw
Fox Sports will air the draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, featuring three-and-a-half hours of live coverage.
The event will be broadcast on television in the United States for the first time ever. Coverage will begin at 11:30 a.m. ET. The official draw is scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. ET.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tom Brady, Shaq will assist in 2026 FIFA World Cup draw
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