FIFA announced Wednesday that Tom Brady and Shaquille O’Neal are the two key figures who will officiate at Friday’s World Cup draw in Washington, DC.
The seven-time Super Bowl winner and NBA Hall of Famer will join former Manchester United star Rio Ferdinand along with Yankees slugger Aaron Judge and former NHL star Wayne Gretzky on stage as part of the team as balls are drawn to assign the World Cup participating nations to their assigned groups.
“It is an incredible honor to be part of the final draw for the FIFA World Cup – it is the kind of global stage that every athlete dreams of,” Brady, part owner of English Championship team Birmingham City, said in a FIFA release. “I’m excited to help pave the way for a tournament that brings the world together like nothing else.”
Model Heidi Klum will co-host the event with actors Kevin Hart and Danny Ramirez in the lead-up to Friday’s draw. Planned entertainment for the ceremony includes Tony Award and Olivier Award winners Nicole Scherzinger, Andrea Bocelli and Robbie Williams.
The Village People plan to perform “YMCA” and FIFA will give its inaugural Peace Prize, which the federation says will “recognize extraordinary actions for peace.” Former NFL star Eli Manning will be the red carpet host.
Friday’s World Cup draw will feature a record 64 countries, with more than 30% being FIFA members.
FIFA has expanded the field from 32 teams to 48 for the 2026 edition, and only 42 venues have been earmarked for the ceremony. Twenty-two teams advance to the playoffs in Friday’s draw that will determine the last six places on March 31.
The World Cup, to be played at 16 venues across North America from June 11 to July 19, will feature 104 games instead of 64. 78 games will be played in 11 NFL stadiums, including all stadiums from the quarterfinals onward, and 13 games each in Mexico and Canada. The finals are at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, where there will be a halftime show for the first time.
In addition to the 12 group winners and the second-placed nations, the eight third-placed teams will advance to a new round of 32. The World Cup winner will play eight games.
The U.S. opens the World Cup on June 12 in Inglewood, Calif., and then plays in Seattle seven days later and closes the group stage on June 25 in Inglewood.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this story.
