The 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage draw on Friday marks the beginning of the journey for teams across the globe hoping to hoist the coveted golden trophy next summer.The drawing will occur at noon ET at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., where FIFA President Gianni Infantino will decide by lottery which countries will play each other in the initial rounds of the tournament.What is the FIFA World Cup draw and how does it work?Infantino will pull balls representing individual nations out of four pots holding 12 balls each to form the round robin groups that countries will compete within during the first leg of the competition. The top two teams from each group will advance to the final elimination tournament.Emilee Chinn/Fifa via Getty Images – PHOTO: Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA, speaks with the FIFA World Cup Trophy during the VIP Welcome Reception ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Draw at John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Dec. 4, 2025 in Washington.The tournament is being jointly hosted by the U.S., Mexico and Canada in a major first. U.S. President Donald Trump, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney are all scheduled to be in attendance at the drawing Friday as the leaders of the three host nations.Sports stars including Tom Brady, Wayne Gretzky, Aaron Judge and Shaquille O’Neal are also scheduled to participate in the drawing.Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images – PHOTO: The FIFA World Cup 2026 mascots, Maple the Moose (Canada), Zayu the Jaguar (Mexico), and Clutch the Bald Eagle (US) pose on the red carpet upon arrival to attend the draw for the 2026 FIFA Football World Cup in Washington, December 5, 2025. What to know about FIFA World Cup 2026 The tournament next year will see four new countries compete, including Cabo Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan, as the cup expands from 32 teams to 48.Dan Mullan/Getty Images – PHOTO: Final preparations are made as FIFA World Cup 2026 Final Draw signage is displayed outside the Kennedy Center, December 4, 2025 in Washington.With over 6 million tickets already sold, the United States is preparing to co-host the international sporting event next summer. The tournament will be played from June 11 to July 19 at 16 sites across North America.Will Oliver/EPA/Shutterstock – PHOTO: Logos are displayed at the Kennedy Center ahead of the FIFA 2026 World Cup Draw in Washington, December 4, 2025.At a press conference Thursday, Sean Duffy, the U.S. secretary of transportation, said the government is working to bolster transportation systems in advance of the event.”One of the biggest parts of what we do, though, is transit,” Duffy said. “We actually bring in additional assets to make sure we can move people seamlessly from the hotels in which they’re staying, getting them to the games, getting them there on time, safely.”READ MORE: Former Spanish soccer chief Luis Rubiales found guilty of sexual assault for kissing player at World CupThe first World Cup game will be played at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Friday, June 12, with Team USA taking the pitch. Group stage will continue through the first two weeks across all three countries.Elimination rounds start with the round of 32. The semifinals will take place in Dallas and Atlanta. The final will be at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, on Sunday, July 19.