During the 2026 World Cup draw, it was hard for fans to ignore the comedic exchange between Shaquille O’Neal and Kevin Hart, overshadowing even the many sports icons present.

The Kennedy Center became a hub for sports greatness at 12pm ET (5pm GMT) on Friday, as legendary figures gathered to participate in the groundbreaking draw that would determine the groupings for the 48 teams set to compete in next year’s monumental event.

Joining NBA titan Shaq were NFL icon Tom Brady, baseball star Aaron Judge, hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, and former Manchester United and England player Rio Ferdinand, all lending their presence to this high-profile occasion.

As Shaquille O’Neal made his entrance, he found himself standing beside comedian and actor Kevin Hart, who is significantly shorter by a foot and nine inches, creating a comical visual contrast.

This amusing sight quickly became a hit online, with fans eagerly sharing screenshots and videos of the duo, adding a lighthearted moment before the serious business of the draw began.

Fans were left stunned by the height disparity between Shaquille O’Neal and Kevin Hart

NFL legend Tom Brady and MLB star Aaron Judge also helped conduct the World Cup draw

America is gearing up to welcome the world inside its borders for sport’s biggest event

While all of the sport stars are used to performing under pressure, they had to prove that once again on Friday – with Donald Trump in attendance.

Trump was honored with FIFA’s first ever peace prize by FIFA president Gianni Infantino before then accepting the award and delivering some remarks on the stage.

In recent months, Trump has made a habit of rubbing shoulders with sport’s biggest stars – such as being pictured with soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo this month.

The president has also previously pictured alongside Yankees star Judge, after paying a visit to the team’s locker room back in September. 

Trump was photographed shaking hands with Judge and made a comment about the slugger’s physique: ‘What a good player, what a player. So you have that much muscle, you have to hit the ball far.’

Elsewhere, a number of soccer’s biggest stars – both past and present – were seen arriving on the red carpet in Washington on Friday afternoon. 

The likes of USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino, former Real Madrid defender Pepe and Barcelona icon Xavi were all spotted striking a pose for the cameras. 

Meanwhile, NFL legend Brady – who won seven Super Bowl titles during his 23-year career – recently spoke of his excitement at being involved in the draw.

‘Being part of the Final Draw for the FIFA World Cup is an incredible honor – it’s the kind of global stage every athlete dreams of,’ said Brady. ‘I’m excited to help set the path for a tournament that brings the world together like nothing else.’ 

Former quarterback Brady is one of the United States’ most-accomplished athletes of all time, making ten Super Bowl appearances and 18 division titles during his stints with the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

Joining him, is another of the NFL’s greats and Brady’s biggest nemesis: Eli Manning.

As NBA legend Shaq was introduced on stage, he stood side-by-side by comedian Hart 

US president Donald Trump was awarded FIFA’s Peace Prize by Gianni Infantino

Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney and his wife Diana Fox Carney seen on the red carpet

USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino (R) and England head coach Thomas Tuchel (L) 

Manning, who beat Brady twice in the Super Bowl with the New York Giants, will bring his charisma to the red carpet as its host.

Judge, a seven-time All-Star and captain of the New York Yankees, said: ‘I follow soccer closely, so being part of the World Cup draw is incredibly special. 

‘With the final set for New York New Jersey – right where I play – I can’t wait to see which teams will be battling for the title in our own backyard.’

Elsewhere, hockey legend Gretzky recently made headlines after voicing his support for Trump; calling him a ‘fantastic guy’ and saying that he could ‘run for any political office in Canada, and win.’

Four-time NBA winner and LA Lakers legend O’Neal, meanwhile, is no stranger to representing his country on the global stage, having won an Olympic gold medal with Team USA in 1996 on home turf in Atlanta.

The 15-time NBA All-Star’s unpredictable athletic career spanned nearly two decades, which saw him become enshrined into the the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame.

Once the draw has been completed, the Village People will perform YMCA to bring the curtain down, with the entire ceremony expected to last about 90 minutes.

The tournament’s guaranteed to be the biggest in history, with a whopping 48 teams vying for a spot at New York’s 82,000-capacity MetLife Stadium for the final on 19 July 2026.

The 48 nations will be split into 12 groups of four teams. A group contains one team from each pot and all of the countries in a group have to be from different confederations (basically continents). The exception is Europe, who can have two teams in one group.