November 14 – The FIFA World Cup main draw is held once every four years and is of global importance; however, this edition’s location has raised eyebrows, which have now arched significantly because the governing body is reportedly being handed the keys to the Kennedy Center free of charge.
Along with the main event, FIFA President Gianni Infantino will also roll out a new bauble in the form of its shiny new ‘Peace Prize’.
With the bromance between U.S. President Donald Trump and Infantino, Trump is expected to attend the draw and the ‘Peace Prize’ award ceremony, though FIFA hasn’t said whether he’s in the running for the honour.
The two have been unusually close as the 2026 World Cup barrels down the runway, sharing stages, photo ops, and plenty of mutual admiration. And now, suddenly, like a David Copperfield magic trick, Infantino announces FIFA’s first-ever peace award in its 121-year history, created to “reward individuals who have taken exceptional and extraordinary actions for peace.”
In 1994, FIFA took the draw show to the most appropriate of American places, Las Vegas. Originally ‘Sin City’ had been earmarked for a repeat performance until it was suddenly taken off the table and replaced by the Kennedy Center in Washington DC.
Either way, as FIFA settles into one of America’s premier cultural venues rent-free, the production feels less like a football celebration and more like political manoeuvrings, especially given Trump’s use of the Kennedy Center for his perceived culture wars.
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