For the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the final tournament draw was conducted by FIFA at a ceremony held at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., in early December 2025. The event itself is a produced show, so there is typically a mix of FIFA officials (who formally conduct the draw by handling and opening the balls) and invited presenters or football legends who help reveal teams and groups on stage.

What “who did the draw” usually means

When fans ask “who did the World Cup draw,” they almost always mean:

  • Which FIFA officials oversaw and ran the formal draw procedure (taking balls from the pots, confirming group placement, etc.).
  • Which guest stars or ex-players stood on stage to open the balls and announce the teams during the show, in what is essentially a TV production built around the official process.

For the 2026 edition, coverage from major broadcasters focuses heavily on those guest analysts and presenters reacting to the draw, which is why a lot of fan discussion online centers less on the technical officials and more on who fronted and commented on the show.

Why it’s a bit confusing right now

  • The 2026 World Cup is the first 48‑team tournament with 12 groups, so the format of the draw (pots, constraints, seeding) has been a main talking point, sometimes overshadowing who literally pulled the balls.
  • Fan and forum reactions complain that the draw show felt long, corporate, or “forced,” which again shifts conversation from the names on stage to how the event was produced overall.

Because of this, a lot of current coverage emphasizes the location, timing, and format of the 2026 World Cup draw rather than giving a clean, one‑line list of every individual who stood at the podium opening balls. If you’re looking for specific personalities (for example, a particular retired star or presenter), the best approach is to check the full video of the “2026 FIFA World Cup Final Draw” show and its description, where broadcasters usually list the main hosts and draw assistants by name.

TL;DR: The 2026 World Cup draw was run by FIFA officials at a televised ceremony at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., with additional presenters and football legends helping reveal the teams on stage.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.