WASHINGTON, DC – DECEMBER 05: Lauryn Hill performs during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Draw at John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on December 05, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mandel NGAN – Pool/Getty Images)
NEW YORK – New Jersey native Lauryn Hill, the acclaimed rapper, singer and songwriter, took the stage Friday during the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw.
Hill, 50, took the stage alongside her sons Joshua and John Marley on Friday at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC.
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WASHINGTON, DC – DECEMBER 05: Lauryn Hill performs during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Draw at John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on December 05, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Emilee Chinn – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
Lauryn Hill’s kids
Like his mother, Joshua is also an artist who performs under the stage name YG Marley. He has collaborated with Hill on several tracks, and the duo performed his singles “Praise Jah in the Moonlight” and “Survival.”
US rapper and singer Lauryn Hill (R) performs on stage during the draw for the 2026 FIFA Football World Cup taking place in the US, Canada and Mexico, at the Kennedy Center, in Washington, DC, on December 5, 2025. (Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP via Getty
Hill, who grew up in South Orange and East Orange, first rose to fame as the frontwoman of the Fugees before launching a record-breaking solo career.
She has earned eight Grammy Awards, the most of any female rapper. She’s also the first rapper to win Album of the Year. Her work includes hits like “Killing my Softly,” “Ready or Not, and “Nothing Even Matters.”
Hill is also a mother of six, including Selah Marley and YG Marley, whom she shares with Rohan Marley.
How to watch the World Cup draw live
FOX 5 NY will stream live coverage explaining how the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw works, along with NYC watch parties across the city, beginning at 10 a.m. ET on Dec. 5, 2025.
The draw airs live on FOX and streams on FOX One, FOXSports.com, and the FOX Sports App.
Who else is performing?
Supermodel and TV personality Heidi Klum and actor-comedian Kevin Hart are co-hosting the ceremony alongside actor-producer Danny Ramirez from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. Former NFL quarterback Eli Manning is hosting the red carpet.
Tom Brady, Shaquille O’Neal, Wayne Gretzky and Aaron Judge are appearing on stage for the draw, which is being run by former England captain Rio Ferdinand with broadcaster Samantha Johnson.
Musical performances
Andrea Bocelli, the Village People, Robbie Williams and Nicole Scherzinger are all slated to perform during the event.
How to watch the World Cup Draw Live
The World Cup Draw is airing live on FOX and is also being streamed on FOX One, FOXSports.com, and the FOX Sports App.
How the World Cup Draw works
The draw will finalize the group stage for the first 48-team World Cup, setting the stage for the largest and most ambitious tournament in FIFA history.
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48 teams will be split into 12 groups (A–L) of four teams each.
- The top two teams from each group and the eight best third-place teams advance to the Round of 32.
- Teams are separated into four pots, based on their FIFA World Ranking (as of November 2025).
- One team is drawn from each pot to form every group, ensuring that no two teams from the same confederation (except Europe) are drawn together.
The format is designed to increase global representation while maintaining competitive balance — and to guarantee at least three matches for every team.
The Source: Information in this article comes from FIFA and Getty Images.
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