The FIFA World Cup draw ceremony begins at Noon ET on Friday, Dec. 5 in Washington, D.C. The 2026 World Cup draw is being held at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington. The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

What a day it's going to be in the soccer world. On Friday, it's the 2026 World Cup draw, with all kinds of celebrities, performers, dignitaries and officials getting together in Washington D.C. at the Kennedy Center to see which groups will be playing in the FIFA soccer tournament next year.

Friday afternoon in the nation's capital, the path to the 2026 World Cup will become clearer for 42 of the 48 teams competing in this year's extravaganza.

The World Cup Draw officially starts at 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT. Pre-event coverage will be available on FOX starting at 11:30 a.m. ET. The draw will take place from 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM ET and upon its conclusion, live coverage on FOX will continue until 3:00 PM ET providing instant analysis, reactions and interviews.

Phoenix Landing is one of the best-known soccer bars in the Boston area, and on Saturday, fans were packed inside to watch English Premier League games while seeing the schedule announcement for the 2026 World Cup.

Multiple countries in the 2026 World Cup are introducing mascots for the tournament. Here's a look at who will be on the field with the players.