Former Manchester United and England defender Rio Ferdinand is set to conduct Friday’s 2026 World Cup draw in Washington DC.
The 47-year-old will be joined by broadcaster Samantha Johnson and a host of sporting greats, including Tom Brady, Wayne Gretzky, Aaron Judge and Shaquille O’Neal.
The draw, which will feature 48 nations, takes place at the Kennedy Center at 17:00 GMT (12:00 local time).
Ferdinand, who also played for Leeds, West Ham and Queens Park Rangers, won 14 trophies during a distinguished 12-year-spell at Old Trafford, before moving into broadcasting after retiring in 2015.
NFL legend Brady, who won seven Super Bowls and NHL great Gretzky – a four-time Stanley Cup champion – will assist, alongside NBA icon O’Neal, who won four championships during his 19-year career, and New York Yankees hero and seven-time MLB all-star Judge.
American disco group, Village People, are due to perform their iconic 1970s song ‘YMCA’, which has more recently become synonymous with president Donald Trump’s campaign rallies.
British superstar Robbie Williams, Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli – who performed as part of Leicester City’s Premier League title-winning celebrations – and former Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger are also on the bill.
The show will be co-hosted by supermodel and Emmy Award winner Heidi Klum and actor and comedian Kevin Hart, with actor and producer Danny Ramirez set to interview those in attendance.
The 2026 World Cup runs from 11 June to 19 July and will be jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Friday’s draw will be broadcast live across the BBC – on iPlayer, the BBC Sport website and app and Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds.
