Robbie Williams, Andrea Bocelli and the Village People are to perform as part of a “world-class entertainment line-up” during Friday’s draw for the 2026 men’s football World Cup. The draw for next year’s tournament will take place at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, with model and TV personality Heidi Klum, comedian Kevin Hart and actor Danny Ramirez co-hosting the event.
The Village People will perform YMCA to cap off an event that promises have distinctly Trumpian overtones. The disco hit became a staple at Donald Trump’s campaign rallies and Mar-a-Lago fundraisers.
Other musical performances will include the classical singer Bocelli and a duet by Williams – who is Fifa’s music ambassador – and Nicole Scherzinger. The tournament takes place in the US, Canada and Mexico next summer, running from 11 June to 19 July in 16 cities.
Gianni Infantino and Donald Trump with the World Cup at the Oval Office in August 2025. Photograph: Jacquelyn Martin/AP
Adding another layer of Trump connection, Fifa also plans to unveil its new “Peace Prize – Football Unites the World” during the event. The award is widely expected to go to Trump after his calls to receive a Nobel Peace Prize this year. The Fifa president, Gianni Infantino, attended Trump’s inauguration in January and has said he deserved global recognition for his role in brokering a ceasefire in the Middle East.
Expanded to 48 teams and 104 matches, the World Cup will span venues from Mexico City to Vancouver and from New York to Los Angeles, with the bulk of games staged in the US as Fifa looks to tap into the world’s biggest sports market.
Trump overhauled the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in February, becoming chair of the organisation and firing its president, Deborah Rutter.
