WASHINGTON — This Friday, make you clear your schedule as the FIFA World Cup draw go dey happen for John F. Kennedy Center, Washington, DC. This no be just any draw, e go decide the matchups for the expanded 48-team tournament wey go span across United States, Mexico, and Canada. Na serious business o!
For this event, US President Donald Trump go dey among the special guests as he go receive FIFA’s first-ever Peace Prize. (Some people don dey talk say the award na more of a publicity stunt, but wetin I sabi?) As e go be, Trump dey ready to rock the stage alongside other big names like supermodel Heidi Klum and comedian Kevin Hart as hosts.
The entertainment lineup no dey play, as operatic sensation Andrea Bocelli and pop-star Robbie Williams go dey perform. Plus, we get the Village People closing the show with their classic ‘Y.M.C.A.’ (I don’t know about you, but that song dey always make me wan dance). E go be a glitzy affair, as entertainers and celebrities converge for this historical moment.
Now, abeg make we talk about the tournament wey dey come. This World Cup na the largest wey FIFA don ever stage with 104 matches across 16 host cities. E start from June 11 and end July 19, 2026. The big boys like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo go dey ready to charm us with their skills, and na where the drama go really dey unfold.
With the draw set to divide 48 teams into 12 groups of 4, the top two from each group plus the eight best third-placed teams go enter the knockout round. But wait oh, how the mechanics of the draw go unfold? Dem don set teams inside pots based on their ranks, so Nigeria go dey hope say dem no go enter the same group with any top-seeded teams.
But abeg, no forget say na Trump dey steal the show. This man fit turn football draw to a reality TV drama! As much as some fans dey eager to see their team schedule, dey also dey wonder how much of a circus this go be with Trump’s controversial presence. You fit expect say his face go dey everywhere after the draw, making headlines for all the wrong or right reasons.
The play-offs for the remaining 22 slots go dey sorted out before March 31, giving fans a double portion of excitement as dem dey wait. FIFA don promise say dem go maintain ticket prices low for fans to benefit, but we all know say the dynamic pricing wey dey float around e fit make your pocket nyash burn. Some tickets fit lea to you to break your piggy bank.
At the end of the day, wetin we fit expect? Plenty matches, serious competition, plus the usual surprises wey World Cup dey carry come. As FIFA usually dey talk, this go be the best World Cup ever! So grab your popcorn and palm wine, because this ride sure go be something wey we go remember for a long time!
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