Holders Argentina and leading contenders Spain were handed kind draws for the 2026 World Cup in a star-studded ceremony on Friday, which saw US President Donald Trump receive FIFA’s new peace prize.

The event in Washington started the final countdown to the tournament, six months out from the first-ever 48-team World Cup, with much-fancied France among those receiving a harder task.

Lionel Messi’s Argentina will begin their defense of the trophy they won in Qatar in 2022 against Algeria, and will also face Austria and debutants Jordan in Group J.

Heavily-fancied Spain, the European champions, will kick off their campaign against first-time qualifiers Cape Verde before also taking on Uruguay and Saudi Arabia in Group H.

Thomas Tuchel’s England will hope to win Group L, which features beaten 2018 finalists Croatia as well as Ghana and Panama.

Two-time winners France, meanwhile, face awkward tests against Senegal and Erling Haaland’s Norway in Group I, which will be completed by an intercontinental play-off winner from either Iraq, Bolivia, or Suriname.

The 2026 tournament will be held across the United States, Mexico, and Canada from June 11 to July 19, with 16 more teams added to the global showpiece, up from the 32 nations involved in Qatar in 2022.

That means a total of 104 matches, compared to 64 games last time.

While the US will host the majority of matches, including the final at MetLife Stadium outside New York, three of the 16 venues will be in Mexico and two in Canada.

“We’ve worked closely with those two countries, and the coordination and friendship and relationship have been outstanding,” Trump said at the Kennedy Center after receiving his prize from FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

“It is truly one of the great honors of my life. It is such an honor to be with Gianni. He has done such an incredible job,” he added.

“The world is a safer place now. The United States a year ago was not going too well, but now it is the hottest country anywhere in the world.”

Brazil face Morocco

Trump seized the limelight, but Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum were also in attendance.

While snow fell outside amid freezing temperatures in the US capital, some of the biggest stars in the American sport and entertainment world appeared on stage inside.

The event was co-hosted by supermodel Heidi Klum and American actor and comedian Kevin Hart, and featured performances by the Village People, Robbie Williams, and Andrea Bocelli.

NFL legend Tom Brady, ice hockey icon Wayne Gretzky, and former NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal were among the stars helping to conduct the draw.

Elsewhere in the draw, co-hosts Mexico will take on South Africa in Group A in the opening game of the tournament at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on June 11.

Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil and surprise 2022 semi-finalists Morocco came out together in Group C, which also features Scotland and Haiti.

Germany’s opponents in Group E will be the Ivory Coast, Ecuador, and Caribbean minnows Curacao, while Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal will face Uzbekistan, Colombia, and a play-off winner.

‘Greatest event in humanity’

Co-hosts the United States got a manageable draw, with Paraguay, Australia, and a European play-off winner in Group D.

The top two teams in each group advance to the last 32, joined by the eight best third-placed teams.

“It will be the greatest World Cup ever, the greatest event that humanity has ever seen. We have three beautiful countries, 16 wonderful host cities, 48 excellent teams who will compete in 104 matches to become the one and only world champion,” Infantino said.

“This is like 104 Super Bowls in one month — this is the magnitude of what we are organizing,” he added of the tournament.

Six finals berths are still to be decided in the playoffs to take place in March.

Because of the complexity, teams will only learn the full details of their match venues and kick-off times on Saturday, a day after the draw.

2026 World Cup Groups

Below are the 12 groups for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, 2026:

Group A

Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, a qualifier

Group B

Canada, a qualifier, Qatar, and Switzerland

Group C

Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland

Group D

United States, Paraguay, Australia, a qualifier

Group E

Germany, Curacao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador

Group F

Netherlands, Japan, a qualifier, Tunisia

Group G

Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand

Group H

Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay

Group I

France, Senegal, qualifier, Norway

Group J

Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan

Group K

Portugal, a qualifier, Uzbekistan, and Colombia

Group L

England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama

AFP

US President Donald Trump became the first-ever recipient of FIFA’s new peace prize at the 2026 World Cup draw Friday — a compensation gift for a leader whose dream of winning the Nobel remains unfulfilled.

Gianni Infantino, the head of world football’s governing body and a close ally of Trump, presented the 79-year-old with the award during the ceremony at the Kennedy Center in Washington.

“Thank you very much. This is truly one of the great honors of my life. And beyond awards, Gianni and I were discussing this, we saved millions and millions of lives,” Trump said.

Infantino said Trump won the award for “exceptional and extraordinary” actions to promote peace and unity around the world.

FIFA announced the annual prize in November, saying it would recognize people who bring “hope for future generations.”

Its inaugural recipient was hardly a surprise.

Infantino, 55, has developed a tight relationship with Trump, visiting the White House more than any world leader since Trump’s return to office in January.

The US president often insists that he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in ending what he says are eight conflicts this year, including a fragile ceasefire in Gaza.

He was snubbed by the Norwegian Nobel Committee last month as it awarded the peace prize to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.

Trump has put himself at the head of a “board of peace” for war-torn Gaza — Infantino also attended the signing of that peace deal in Egypt — while his administration this week renamed a Washington peace institute after him.

The US leader has made the World Cup a centerpiece of his second presidency.

Yet it was an extraordinary gesture for FIFA, a sporting organization that trumpets its political neutrality.

There has been little transparency around the prize. Human Rights Watch says it has written to FIFA to request a list of the nominees, the judges, the criteria and the selection process — and has received no response.

The prize came as Trump faces criticism from Democrats and rights groups on a host of issues.

The self-proclaimed “president of peace” has launched a huge US military build-up around Venezuela and ordered deadly airstrikes against alleged drug-smuggling boats.

He has also ordered a hardline migration crackdown, threatening to move World Cup games from cities where he has sent troops and freezing asylum decisions from 19 countries — including World Cup participants Haiti and Iran.

And he has cracked down on political opponents, rival ideologies and those who challenge his false claim he won the 2020 election.

The venue for the draw, the Kennedy Center, was where Trump installed himself this year as chairman in what he called a war on “woke” culture.

AFP

Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong has announced his retirement from international football, bringing an emotional close to a decade-long career with Nigeria’s senior national team.

The defender made the announcement on Thursday via a heartfelt statement posted on his X page, reflecting on his journey, achievements, and the honour of representing the country.

Troost-Ekong, who earned 83 caps and featured in five major tournaments for Nigeria, described the decision as one made “with peace,” noting that he had given everything throughout his international career. He recounted how a 2015 phone call from the late Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi changed his life and opened the door for him to make his senior debut just a month later.

“Going on to captain the Super Eagles was beyond my wildest dreams,” he wrote. “Nigeria took me in and trusted me to lead and represent a nation of 230+ million. From a boy born and raised in the Netherlands to the Oyibo Wall and eventually skippo is a privilege I will always hold close to my heart.”

The 31-year-old highlighted several milestones, including a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, appearances at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and three Africa Cup of Nations tournaments—culminating in a memorable run at AFCON 2023, where he scored in the final and was named Player of the Tournament.

“To this day I still wish for a different ending,” he admitted, adding that becoming the highest-scoring defender in AFCON history was an honour he shared with every teammate who contributed to those moments.

Troost-Ekong expressed pride in being part of a generation of Super Eagles players who proved that members of the diaspora could return home and represent Nigeria with distinction. He also paid tribute to the coaches, staff members, and teammates who accompanied him on the journey, as well as fans he described as “the heartbeat of Nigerian football.”

“As a custodian of an iconic shirt, I’ve always known it was only borrowed,” he wrote. “Now it’s the turn of the next generation to continue to write their own story.”

While stepping away from the national team, Troost-Ekong made it clear that this is “not a final goodbye,” noting that his work within Nigerian communities will continue, along with his passion for the Super Eagles.

“The last decade has been filled with commitment, pride, and unforgettable memories,” he said. “Wearing the Super Eagles shirt has been more than playing football. It has been a duty, a privilege, and an honour.”

Troost-Ekong retires as one of the most influential defenders of his generation and a central figure in Nigeria’s football renaissance over the last decade.