The highly anticipated draw for the FIFA World Cup 2026 is fast approaching, and there are some big names headlining the event – NFL legend Tom Brady, NBA icon Shaquille O’Neal, and former Manchester United star Rio Ferdinand, among others. New York Yankees legend Aaron Judge will also be part of the event. The draw will take place in Washington, D.C.
Tom Brady joins Shaq, Aaron Judge and more for World Cup draw event
Tom Brady and Shaquille O’Neal are two of the biggest names headlining the FIFA World Cup draw in Washington, D.C. The seven-time Super Bowl winner and NBA Hall of Famer are a part of a lineup that also includes Yankees slugger Aaron Judge and NHL legend Wayne Gretzky. Rio Ferdinand, former footballer and Manchester United legend, will also join them.
The World Cup draw is a crucial part of the contest as teams will find out who they face in the group stage. Sometimes, this becomes the biggest factor in any team’s progress.
Brady is already involved in soccer as a part-owner of EFL Championship side Birmingham City. He spoke about his involvement in the draw in a FIFA release, “Being part of the Final Draw for the FIFA World Cup is an incredible honour — it’s the kind of global stage every athlete dreams of.” He added, “I’m excited to help set the path for a tournament that brings the world together like nothing else.”
Model Heidi Klum will co-host the event with Kevin Hart and Danny Ramirez. Moreover, Nicole Scherzinger, Andrea Bocelli, and Robbie Williams will also be a part of the event. As well as them, former New York Giants QB Eli Manning will be the red carpet host.
This will be the first World Cup where 48 teams will be a part of the tournament, instead of 32. Because of this change, the 2026 FIFA World Cup will have 104 games played instead of 64.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 will kick off on June 11, 2025.
Originally reported by Sourav Chakraborty on Mandatory.
