At the 2026 World Cup draw, the winner is ... Donald Trump

U.S. President Donald Trump said helium was not attending the gully for the 2026 World Cup to person a prize, but helium got 1 anyway.

Trump, who has campaigned aggressively this twelvemonth for a Nobel Peace Prize, was fixed FIFA's inaugural bid prize for his efforts to beforehand dialog and de-escalation successful immoderate of the world's biggest hotspots.

The erstwhile TV world amusement big dominated the country astatine Washington's Kennedy Center connected Friday, placing himself squarely astatine the halfway of 1 of the biggest events successful the sporting satellite successful a glitzy, celebrity-studded matter that bore the unmistakable stamp of the president.

The United States, on with Canada and Mexico, volition big the shot tourney adjacent year. The premier curate of Canada, Mark Carney, and the president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, were there, too, but it was Trump's amusement from commencement to finish.

In a motion to Trump's emotion of spectacle, FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who served arsenic maestro of ceremonies, had the 3 leaders basal down brightly colored podiums - game-show benignant - to gully their teams. After the draw, they each posed for a selfie with Infantino.

"This volition beryllium unique, this volition beryllium stellar, this volition beryllium spectacular," Infantino said astatine the outset of the ceremony, referring to adjacent year's games. But helium could besides person been talking astir the Kennedy Center lawsuit itself, which was located successful Washington astatine Trump's urging.

Last month, FIFA announced that a caller yearly grant called the FIFA Peace Prize would beryllium presented astatine the gully to "reward individuals who person taken exceptional and bonzer actions for peace."

A video anterior to the presumption celebrated Trump for resolving the warfare successful Gaza and trying to extremity Russia's warfare successful Ukraine. The trophy, a gold-plated globe carried by upraised hands, was considerably larger than the Nobel, which is conscionable a elemental medal. Trump was fixed a medal arsenic good and donned it arsenic Infantino lauded him. The president deserved the grant for "promoting bid and unity astir the world," helium said.

"This is genuinely 1 of the large honors of my beingness – and beyond," Trump said. He took a infinitesimal to congratulate himself. The United States, helium said, was "not doing excessively well" earlier helium took office, but present "we're the hottest state anyplace successful the world."

Earlier, Trump told reporters helium did not attraction astir the prize, but noted that helium had "settled 8 wars" successful his 10 months successful office.

"I don't request prizes. I request to prevention lives," Trump said. "I saved millions and millions of lives, and that's truly what I privation to do."

The assertion that Trump has ended 8 wars this twelvemonth is wide disputed. Much enactment remains earlier astir of the conflicts the president claims to person ended, including the Israel-Hamas conflict, tin really beryllium considered resolved.

Trump received the grant the aforesaid week his medication froze migration applications from 19 countries aft past week's shooting of 2 National Guard members successful Washington. It besides came days aft the president demeaned Somali immigrants successful the United States arsenic "garbage" — sparking an outcry some astatine location and abroad.

Trump has often made the trappings of the presidency a portion of large sporting and taste events this year. He attended the Super Bowl successful February, to a premix of cheers and boos from the crowd, and connected Sunday helium plans to be the Kennedy Center Honors, which helium eschewed during his archetypal term.

The FIFA lawsuit — wherever 48 teams learned their radical signifier opponents — opened with Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli singing "Nessun Dorma," a favourite of Trump's and a staple astatine his run rallies.

Later, British popular prima Robbie Williams and American Broadway chanteuse Nicole Scherzinger sang FIFA's 2026 World Cup anthem with highlights from past tournaments playing connected a ample video surface down them.

American sports stars Tom Brady, Shaquille O'Neal and Aaron Judge - nary of them shot players - besides took part. Also connected manus was Canadian hockey large Wayne Gretzky.

The World Cup volition beryllium held from June 11-July 19, 2026, with a grounds 104 matches successful 16 big cities.

The spectacle ended with a unrecorded show of the opus "YMCA" by the Village People, the crowning interaction for yet different lawsuit the president made his own.