Scaloni, who led La Albiceleste to glory in Qatar three years ago, presented the World Cup on stage at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. The Argentine wore white gloves to handle the golden trophy, something Infantino admits he was unaware of until after the draw.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has apologised to Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni after a bizarre mix-up at the 2026 World Cup draw forced the reigning world champion coach to wear gloves before touching the trophy.

FIFA modified the draw for 2026 to create separate pathways to the semifinals for the four-highest ranked teams: Spain, Argentina, France and England. That means if Spain and Argentina win their groups, the world's Nos. 1 and 2 teams can not meet prior to the final.

With the World Cup draw taking place on Friday, December 5th, now is the time to start thinking about purchasing tickets to the 2026 World Cup if you plan on attending.

Some big names will be playing here, too, like Lionel Messi and Argentina and a star-studded Netherlands squad that should bring a big traveling fan base. While initial expectations were some 650,000 fans could travel to KC as part of the World Cup games, that number may now be bigger, representatives from KC2026 say.

Jordan, Paraguay will each play two matches in Santa Clara next summer. FIFA sends defending champ Argentina to Kansas City, Arlington, Texas.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup groups are settled, and playoff games in March will determine the final slots. President Donald Trump was awarded a peace prize.