The draw for the 2026 World Cup is moving football fans all over the world. The international press commented on the German lots in Curaçao, Ivory Coast and Ecuador, as well as in particular on the show surrounding US President Donald Trump.
Press reviews of the World Cup gala:
England
“The Mirror”: “What should have been a celebration of the beautiful game in the World Cup draw instead degenerated into a dark display of one man’s political sycophancy.”
“The Telegraph”: “Gianni Infantino’s demeaning behavior in front of Donald Trump is a new low. The FIFA president has spouted a lot of nonsense in the name of oratory in the past, but this was something completely different.”
“The Guardian”: “It was about as exciting as reading a dictionary or following the election results from North Korea. After all, Donald Trump won the first FIFA Peace Prize in a tacky and ostentatious World Cup draw that was all about the most valuable ego in the world.”
Spain
“Marca”: The US President was the undisputed star of the draw. He looked like a baby at a baptism, a woman at a wedding, and a dead man at a funeral. He accepted an award, gave a speech and drew the balls. It’s “his” World Cup. (…) 48 teams are taking part, sparking a debate about whether that is too many. Should the World Cup be open to everyone? Absolutely. Is it unworthy of a team like Curaçao to lose 10-0 to Germany? The same applies here: yes.”
El País: “The United States may not know football (its national team is not one of the favorites), but it does know show business. A business in which Donald Trump moves like a fish in water.”
El Mundo: “Trump, Trump and only Trump. The protagonist of the World Cup draw on Friday in Washington was neither football nor the group of death, but the President of the United States. In this country, personalities like him are referred to as “larger-than-life”, and the production surrounding his person and his obsessions has made it clear that the coming months will be entirely shaped by his presence.”
Canada
“The Globe and Mail”: “When the US president uses football for his own purposes, the FIFA president usually plays along. The wooing continues at the World Cup draw.”
Ecuador
“El Telégrafo”: “It will be a preliminary round with great challenges: a historic rival in world football, the reigning African champions and a surprise team of this World Cup. Against this background, the Tricolor faces a game plan that combines tradition, physical strength, speed and clearly defined tactical systems – elements that will test the national team from the first game. (…) Germany goes into the World Cup with the same mix of order, power and tactical discipline that has made it one of the most feared teams in the world. Its history is impressive, it has won four world championship titles.”