Rio Ferdinand will host the 2026 World Cup draw in Washington D.C on Friday evening, with his wife Kate sharing family snaps as they prepare for the festive season
11:37 ET, 05 Dec 2025
Kate and Rio Ferdinand moved to Dubai in the summer(Image: JMEnternational/Getty Images)
Rio Ferdinand’s wife has posted pictures of the family’s holiday celebrations while her former Manchester United defender husband gears up for the World Cup draw.
The retired defender will serve as the primary host for the official ceremony on Friday night, where the United States Men’s National Team anxiously waits to discover its group stage rivals. Meanwhile, Kate has been getting ready extensively for Christmas as she strikes poses in holiday pajamas with friends Lucy and Melissa.
The household, which includes the couple’s two kids Shae and Cree, relocated to Dubai over the summer after he recently criticized the UK government for its management of taxpayer funds.
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Now enjoying life in the United Arab Emirates, Kate posted images of the family’s Christmas activities. These featured visits from Santa Claus and The Grinch, plus posing in comfortable sleepwear with the holiday figures.
Ferdinand was absent from all the pictures uploaded to Instagram with the message, “The Christmas celebrations have begun with our babies.”
This is probably because Rio is intensively preparing for the World Cup 2026 draw that he will present in Washington DC on Friday night. The former England international will be accompanied by broadcaster Samantha Johnson and numerous sports legends.
Kate Ferdinand has been getting ready for Christmas(Image: Instagram/@xkateferdinand)Festivities have begun in the Ferdinand household(Image: Instagram/@xkateferdinand)
These include Tom Brady, Wayne Gretzky, Aaron Judge and Shaquille O’Neal. Rio isn’t the sole headliner at the World Cup draw, though, with FIFA president Gianni Infantino and US President Donald Trump both anticipated to deliver addresses at the event.
The event will also feature performances from Andrea Bocelli, Robbie Williams, and Nicole Scherzinger before the draw, with Heidi Klum, Kevin Hart, and Danny Ramirez co-hosting.
After the event, Ferdinand will return to his beloved family in Dubai, having criticized the British government for its ineffective management of the country. In a conversation with LBC in November, he stated, “If there were things like the health service and what not, and they were flying and working perfectly well then I think people wouldn’t mind paying tax.
Rio Ferdinand is hosting the World Cup draw on Friday(Image: Kym Illman/Getty Images)
“But when things are falling apart, going wrong, you did sit there and go ‘well I’m paying all this tax, but is it really going towards the things that benefit the people that live here’. And that’s the big question that needs answering – and I think a lot of us know the answer to that.”
Ferdinand left his punditry role with TNT Sports last season to make the move, acknowledging that spending quality time with his family is currently his top priority.
He further added: “My family is seeing me so much more and I’m spending some quality time with them and I think that’s just been a great thing for.
“I love England and I’m a patriotic guy in that sense, but a new journey, a new chapter, something different, I think is a refreshing new chapter in my life.”
