A supersized World Cup field begins taking shape at Friday's draw

WASHINGTON (AP) — FIFA has invited more teams than ever for a World Cup priced largely for fans in the 1%. The process of figuring out which teams in the expanded 48-nation field will play where begins with Friday's draw at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan and Uzbekistan will appear in soccer’s premier event for the first time when next year’s tournament is played from June 11 to July 19 at 16 sites in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

“I’m quite optimistic because to qualify you need to beat the other teams of your confederations, and that’s a sign of quality,” former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said Thursday as red carpets were installed at the Kennedy Center. “The teams are not there by coincidence.”

President Donald Trump of the U.S. and Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico are expected along with Canada Prime Minister Mark Carney. Instead of soccer gear, the Kennedy Center gift shop still was filled with socks of Shakespeare, Beethoven and Verdi along with shelves of red and white holiday nutcrackers.

The world’s top 11-ranked teams have all qualified, with No. 12 Italy among 22 nations competing in playoffs for the final six berths to be decided March 31.

Led by captain Lionel Messi, who turns 39 during the tournament, Argentina seeks to become the first nation to win consecutive World Cups since Brazil in 1958 and 1962. Messi will look to extend his record of 26 games played and enters with 13 career goals, three shy of Miroslav Klose's record.

Games will be played at 11 NFL stadiums along with three in Mexico and two in Canada, where construction is underway to add 17,000 temporary seats to BMO Field, raising capacity to around 45,000. Attendance will top the record 3.59 million in 1994.

“We basically set the new tone in terms of attendance, in terms of surrounding the tournament with a lot of entertainment and glamor,” said Alan Rothenberg, head organizer of the 1994 World Cup in the U.S. “We did a lot of things that kind of broke the ice with respect to how you present the tournament as something other than just a soccer tournament.”

FIFA announced initial ticket prices of $60-$6,730, saying they would be dynamic, up from $25-$475 for the 1994 tournament in the United States. It has refused to release a complete list of prices, as it had for every other World Cup since at least 1990. The governing body also is selling parking passes for up to $175 for a single match, a semifinal in Arlington, Texas.

FIFA spokesman Bryan Swanson did not respond to a request for FIFA President Gianni Infantino to discuss ticket prices.

Sixty-four nations will participate in the draw, 30% of FIFA’s members, but just 42 countries are assured of sports. Among the playoff teams, Albania, Kosovo, New Caledonia and Suriname are trying to reach the World Cup for the first time.

With the expansion, the top two teams in each of 12 groups advance along with the eight best third-place teams. Some nations could reach the new round of 32 with three points.

“I think we’re going to be in pretty good shape,” said former U.S. midfielder Tab Ramos, who during his playing days mapped out permutations for advancement. “We have a good team, so I’m not worried as much as I’ve been in the past about about this draw.”

Opta Analyst's computer projects the U.S. has a 0.9% chance of winning — the Americans haven't reached the semifinals since the first World Cup in 1930. Spain tops the forecast at 17%, followed by France (14.1%), England (11.8%), Argentina (8.7%), Germany (7.1.%), Portugal (6.6%), Brazil (5.6%) and the Netherlands (5.2%).

In a new twist, FIFA said the top four teams in the rankings — Spain, Argentina, France and England — will avoid each other until the semifinals if they finish first in their first-round groups.

Specific sites for most matchups and kickoff times won't be announced until Saturday. In 1994, there were just seven night games.

A team's group play sites will be restricted to an Eastern, Central and Western regional

The 1994 World Cup draw in Las Vegas was apolitical, featuring performances by Stevie Wonder, Barry Manilow, James Brown and Vanessa Williams plus comedian Robin Williams, who called the draw screen “the world’s largest keno board,” yelled “Bingo!” when Greece was selected.

This draw figures to be more akin to the ceremony for 2018 tournament in Moscow, opened by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump, who has campaigned for a Nobel Peace Prize, is expected to be awarded FIFA's own peace prize that Infantino established after traveling to several events with Trump.

But the main event is the pulling of balls from bowls to create groups. Retired stars Tom Brady of the NFL, Shaquille O’Neal of the NBA and Wayne Gretzky of the NHL along with three-time AL MVP Aaron Judge will assist in a ceremony to be run by former England captain Rio Ferdinand.

“There is the angst and the looks of sheer terror and disappointment and/or joy and elation from the coaches and from the staffs,” said former U.S. defender Alexi Lalas, now Fox's lead soccer analyst. “It really gets kind of real for people.”

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The red carpet is delivered prior to the final draw for the 2026 soccer World Cup at the Kennedy Center in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

The red carpet is delivered prior to the final draw for the 2026 soccer World Cup at the Kennedy Center in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

A member of the media works prior to the final draw for the 2026 soccer World Cup at the Kennedy Center in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

The red carpet is delivered prior to the final draw for the 2026 soccer World Cup at the Kennedy Center in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

NEW DELHI (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday at an annual summit and agreed to diversify mutual economic ties, as the United States presses India to revise its decades-old partnership with Russia.

The 23rd Russia-India Summit comes at a pivotal moment as the U.S. pushes for a Ukraine peace deal while seeking global cooperation. It will test New Delhi’s efforts to balance relations with Moscow and Washington as the nearly four-year war in Ukraine grinds on.

Putin was received by Modi at an airport in New Delhi on Thursday. The Indian leader gave Putin a bear hug and a tight handshake with the gusto of an old friend.

After the talks, Putin and Modi announced that India and Russia have finalized an economic cooperation program until 2030, which will help diversify mutual businesses to boost annual trade to $100 billion by 2030. They also emphasized strong energy ties.

Bilateral trade between the two countries stood at $68.7 billion in the last fiscal year ended March. The trade is heavily skewed in favor of Russia with deep deficits for India, which it is looking to bridge by pushing exports.

“To achieve this significant goal, a program for the development of Russian-Indian economic cooperation until 2030 has been agreed upon,” Putin said. He said work is underway on an agreement for India to establish a free trade zone with the Eurasian Economic Union, a Moscow-dominated economic grouping of several ex-Soviet nations, adding that it could help increase trade.

“Russia is a reliable supplier of energy resources and everything necessary for the development of India’s energy sector,” Putin said. “We are ready to continue ensuring the uninterrupted supply of fuel for the rapidly growing Indian economy.”

Before the summit talks, the Russian leader said the two countries “have a very trusting relationship when it comes to military-technical cooperation.”

Modi said after the talks that the two countries will work toward early conclusion of a free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union. He also announced that India will soon start issuing free electronic visas for Russian tourists and groups visiting the country.

The Indian leader said energy security has long anchored India-Russia ties, with civil nuclear cooperation spanning decades. He added that such cooperation will continue, alongside collaboration in clean energy, shipbuilding, fertilizers and labor mobility.

While India has historically maintained deep ties with Russia, critics say Putin’s visit could strain relations with the European Union and the United States and might jeopardize negotiations for major trade agreements with both that are seen as critical for India’s exports.

U.S. President Donald Trump raised tariffs on Indian goods to 50% in August, citing New Delhi's discounted Russian oil. India has been the second biggest importer of Russian crude after China.

The U.S. says purchases of Russian oil help finance Moscow’s war machine. In October, the U.S. sanctioned two of Moscow’s biggest oil producers to force countries like India to cut down on imports. Indian officials have said New Delhi has always abided by international sanctions and would do so in the case of Russia oil purchases.

India’s foreign secretary Vikram Misri told reporters that the recent sanctions imposed on Russian oil were discussed.

Without specifying India’s position on its purchases, Misri said the government’s priority was to secure the energy needs of its 1.4 billion people.

Misri said India’s private and state-run oil companies make decisions based on evolving market dynamics and commercial issues they confront while sourcing supplies.

"We are continuing our cooperation between the two countries,” he said.

India and the U.S. set a target for the first tranche of a trade deal by the fall, but the deal hasn’t come through yet amid strains in relations, mainly because of New Delhi's unabated imports of Russian crude.

India is also in the final stages of talks on a trade agreement with the EU, which sees Russia's war in Ukraine as a major threat.

Given the timing and geopolitical context, Putin’s India visit "underscores New Delhi’s strategic tightrope walk between the West and the rest, chiefly Russia,” said Praveen Donthi, a senior analyst with the International Crisis Group.

Donthi said India’s tilt toward Russia dates back to the Cold War and persists despite its official nonaligned position. “The significant change now is its desire to be a strategic partner with the U.S. at the same time, which will be a diplomatic challenge,” he added.

Indian officials earlier said that Modi in the meeting with Putin would push for faster delivery of two further Russian S-400 surface-to-air missile systems. It has already received three under a 2018 deal worth about $5.4 billion. The delay has been tied to supply chain disruptions linked to the war in Ukraine.

Misri said the defense ministers of India and Russia met Thursday.

In a joint statement following the summit, the two sides said they have agreed to encourage joint manufacturing in India of spare parts and components for maintenance of Russian-origin arms and defense equipment. This would be done through transfer of technology and setting up of joint ventures.

India and Russia signed a pact in February to improve military cooperation, exercises, port calls, disaster relief assistance and logistics support. Moscow’s State Duma ratified the same ahead of Putin’s India visit.

India is also expecting to upgrade its Russian-made Su-30MKI fighter jets and accelerate deliveries of critical military hardware.

India is keen to increase exports of pharmaceuticals, agriculture and textiles to Russia and is seeking the removal of non-tariff barriers. New Delhi is also seeking long-term supplies of fertilizers from Moscow.

Another key area where the two countries hope to finalize an agreement is the safety and regulation of skilled Indian migrant workers to Russia.

Putin last visited India in 2021. Modi was in Moscow last year, and the two leaders briefly met in September in China during a Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit.

Hussain reported from Srinagar, India.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi make a press statement after their talks at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi, India, Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. (Alexander Kazakov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin receives a guard of honor during a ceremonial reception at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, India, Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. (AP Photo)

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi pose for a photo prior to their talks in New Delhi, India, Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. (Mikhail Tereshchenko, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, walks along with Indian President Droupadi Murmu, left, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a ceremonial reception at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, India, Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. (AP Photo)

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi pose for a photo prior to their talks in New Delhi, India, Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. (Mikhail Tereshchenko, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, shakes hands with Indian President Droupadi Murmu as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, right, looks on during a ceremonial reception at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, India, Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. (AP Photo)

Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, poses for a photograph with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, right, and Indian President Droupadi Murmu during a ceremonial reception at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, India, Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. (AP Photo)

Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures during an interview with journalists and executives of Aaj Tak and India Today TV channels at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025. (Vyacheslav Prokofyev/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, speaks during an interview with journalists and executives of Aaj Tak and India Today TV channels at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025. (Vyacheslav Prokofyev/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi sit inside a limousine as they arrive at the Indian Prime Minister office in New Delhi, India, on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025. (Alexander Kazakov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)