'Shameless political theater and performances from musical stars whose last big hits came in the pre-smartphone era' What did I witness at the 2026 FIFA World Cup Draw?

The build-up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw was a complex tapestry of conundrums. It’s going to be held in Las Vegas – no wait, it’s going to be held in Washington D.C.

Journalists should plan on arriving no later than 10.30am – actually, make that 10.15am. Journalists can take their water bottles inside – whoops, they in fact cannot, as seen by the disheartening pile at the entrance.

As I awoke on Friday morning with the mission of covering my first-ever FIFA tournament draw, I was immediately greeted with a bizarre sensation as a lifelong Marylander: snow before Christmas. It refused to let up and blanketed the streets in white – this, combined with a minefield of road closures, made for a less-than-straightforward commuting experience.

Slow going

Once there, I raced to the Watergate Center to pick up my accreditation before making my way to the entrance of the Kennedy Center, where there were two loosely organized lines forming.

But whilst another line magically opened up and immediately cleared on the left flank for what I presume to be VIP guests, these two lines both appeared to be stuck in quicksand, making no progress whatsoever.

By the time I finally made it towards the end of the line, the only thing on my mind was keeping myself free from frostbite as the incessant snowfall continued to melt on my Nikes.

It was then that we learned that, for whatever reason, there had been a ‘hard stop’ in letting any more people in; it was back to a standstill.

Another 20 minutes passed before I was finally given the chance to be scanned and let through, around a half-hour before the draw was set to start.

I then sprinted up the Kennedy Center steps and headed around the building before finally making it to the media entrance. After battling for three hours in frigid conditions, I had finally made it to my destination – and more importantly, a functional HVAC system.

I then headed to the media cafe, where I found, for once, a lengthy but rapidly moving line to three buffets featuring three cuisines: Mexican (tacos and nachos), American (burgers and chicken sandwiches) and Canadian (poutine and macaroni and cheese).

Next, it was time to wander through the multiple different theaters and watch the draw on the big screen. At least, I thought that it was going to be the draw. Instead, I was met with a two-hour reality show featuring shameless political theater and performances from musical stars whose last big hits had come in the pre-smartphone era.

Ultimately, it felt that the actual football was in the background. FIFA stretched out the non-football coverage like a pizza chef painstakingly spreading his dough; by the time two hours passed, we still knew absolutely nothing about who was going to be playing who.

But as for the actual football, they pressed the fast-forward button and zoomed through the action like a bullet train. Rather than take the time to analyze the groups and discuss what's at stake with each spot, they chose to commit more time to other trivial matters.

Instead of sticking around to watch The Village People close out the draw with their classic 'YMCA,' I made a break for the mixed zone where, despite already having my press pass scanned, I was made to go through another round of scanning by a different FIFA volunteer.

Shortly after, another FIFA worker came back to scan my pass, and much to his dissatisfaction, the light turned green. What on Earth was this uncouth American ruffian doing in a room with the world's footballing elite?

After interviewing a handful of the world's leading international coaches, I then grabbed myself a backpack and mini football from the media office, before navigating my way out of a convoluted labyrinth and eventually locating the exit.

My weary back groaned like an antique wooden door as I trudged 40 minutes in the unforgiving winter tempest until finally making it to the metro station, descending the escalator, entering the metro car, and heading back home.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup journey has finally begun. Let's just hope that, by the time the tournament starts next summer in North America, the football will actually be the main event.