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Hosting a global sporting event is expensive, and the World Cup is no different.

Estimates suggest that hosting seven games in Vancouver will cost provincial and municipal governments $624 million, with another $116 million coming from the federal government. Meanwhile, games in Toronto are expected to cost about $380 million, divided between the three levels of government. According to a recent Angus Reid poll, more than 70 per cent of Canadians believe that hosting is only worth it if the cities can recoup the costs.

Then there are the ticket prices, with fans paying hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars to attend a game. The same Angus Reid poll found that an overwhelming majority of Canadians believe tickets are too expensive.

The Associated Press

Some background while we await the draw: The relationship between the American president and FIFA president Gianni Infantino dates back to at least 2018, shortly after the U.S. Was named co-host of the soccer tournament.

Infantino, who was also serving his first term as FIFA president, made an impression during a White House visit that year by handing Trump red and yellow penalty cards, joking they could be used on the press.

The relationship flourished in the years since. Trump was instrumental in working with Infantino to move the draw to the Kennedy Center after it was widely expected to take place in Las Vegas, while Infantino has framed his close relationship with the U.S. President as "crucial" to the tournament’s overall success.

Inching closer toward the official draw, Infantino called Carney, Sheinbaum and Trump on stage, referring to them as "draw assistants."

"It is the biggest of deals," Carney said when asked by Infantino how big of a deal it is to be a host country. He referenced the more than 200 nationalities living in Canada, as well as the sheer popularity of soccer Canada-wide.

Also, many jokes about what to call the sport — "soccer" or "football" — have been cracked already, perhaps unsurprisingly, with Trump taking the opportunity to make some quips himself.

All three world leaders then began by symbolically drawing their respective countries.

The World Cup Trophy has been brought on stage by Lionel Scaloni, the coach who led Argentina to glory during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

This was followed by a highlights reel showing scenery and soccer moments from the three host countries: Canada, the U.S. And Mexico.

The leaders of each country are now on stage, too, with FIFA's president explaining how the draw works.

The division of the groups is officially getting underway.

Human Rights Watch has said it is concerned about the prize, saying there has been "no transparency" around the process for choosing the honouree.

In a statement issued Wednesday, before it was officially awarded, the organization said it wrote to FIFA asking for more information but had not received a response.

There's about half an hour to go before the draw itself takes place. But the spectacle is well underway, with performances from Bocelli, along with a duet by Robbie Williams and Nicole Scherzinger. Together, they performed the FIFA anthem Desire.

A video singing the praises of U.S. President Donald Trump played as well.

"This has been a presidency marked by actions to pursue peace around the world," the video's narrator said.

The video preceded the announcement that Trump would receive FIFA's inaugural peace prize — a prize he was expected to win given his close ties to FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

Trump then took to the stage, shaking hands with Infantino before he presented Trump with a gold medal, a massive trophy and a certificate that says it's for a person who "exemplifies an unwavering commitment to advancing peace and unity around the world."

Infantino then offered emphatic praise of his friend Trump.

"This is truly one of the great honours of my life," Trump told the room, before listing off his accomplishments.

Notably, this peace price didn’t exist until about a month ago. It's well known that Trump has been eyeing a Nobel Peace Prize.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino took to the stage, offering greetings in multiple languages. He gave a warm welcome to U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump. In Spanish, he welcomed Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, and then he greeted Prime Minister Park Carney and his wife, Diana Fox Carney. Infantino then launched into a speech, hyping up everything that's to come.

"This will be stellar. This will be spectacular," Infantino said of the upcoming tournament. "We will have six billion people watching the World Cup from all over the world."

"This is like 104 Superbowls in one month," Infantino said for American viewers to get a sense of scale.

Infantino was clearly trying to create hype and fanfare by shouting out big names in attendance, and later, encouraging Americans, Canadians and Mexicans in the audience to repeatedly yell out the names of their respective countries.

There is a lot of fanfare swirling around this draw. The Kennedy Center is packed with celebrities, artists and word-class athletes. Meanwhile, between 500 million and a billion people around the world are watching, host Heidi Klum told the audience.

Just before the draw got underway, Prime Minister Mark Carney entered the private viewing box for the Canadian delegation, right beside the U.S. Box, where he saw and greeted President Donald Trump.

From my vantage point here in the press box at the Kennedy Center, it appeared they had some brief chit-chat, with maybe an awkward pause in there.

Earlier, Carney met briefly with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum for a conversation on the sidelines of the draw. The meeting began around 11:30 a.m. ET, and was done by 11:45 a.m. — as by that time Carney was spotted in the private box where the Canadian delegation will watch the draw.

Trade is a concern for both leaders, as they attempt to navigate Trump’s tariffs and concerns he may pull the U.S. Out of CUSMA, the three-way trade deal.

As much as this is about the biggest sporting event in the world, the political tensions of this moment hang over the celebrations. And the guest list is a reminder of what’s at stake.

On my way into the media viewing area, I saw Marc-André Blanchard, the PM’s chief of staff along with Tim Krupa, who is a senior policy advisor deeply involved in the Canada-U.S. Relations file. I asked them briefly if there were any nerves about Carney’s chat with Trump, and they both politely told me this is an event about soccer.

I also saw Scott Bessent, who is the U.S. Treasury secretary — a highly influential member of Trump’s cabinet who helps shape his economic policy.

A note on the opening segment of the draw — it's a bit of a formality, but each Pot 1 team will first be drawn into a group.

We already know Canada, as a co-host, will lead Group B.

It’s an uncomfortable truth, but every other team will want to find itself in Group B, given Canada's relative weakness as a top seed. Canada is ranked 27th in the world; every team in Pot 2 is ranked higher.

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