Why Kevin Hart Got Roasted During the 2026 World Cup Draw in Washington
Doha, vrijdag, 5 december 2025.
The draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Washington attracted global attention – but not for the football matches themselves. Kevin Hart, the American comedian who hosted the event, was met with widespread criticism, particularly over an awkward remark regarding Heidi Klum’s height. Although the ceremony featured appearances by stars such as Tom Brady, Wayne Gretzky, and Andrea Bocelli, and even a personal meeting between Donald Trump and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum was widely discussed, the focus remained firmly on Hart’s presentation. The entire event reflects a growing fusion of politics, entertainment, and sport in international gatherings – and how digital reactions can quickly overshadow the original context.
The Presentation the World Was Watching
The 2026 World Cup draw took place on Friday, 5 December 2025, at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., with Kevin Hart and Heidi Klum co-hosting the event [https://nypost.com/2025/12/05/sports/kevin-hart-getting-panned-as-host-of-world-cup-draw-cringe/][https://sportnieuws.nl/boulevard/nieuws/topmodel-52-presenteert-loting-wk-voetbal-fifa-maakt-enorme-sterren-bekend-2025120307273609697/]. Despite performances by Andrea Bocelli, Robbie Williams, and the Village People, and the presence of sports legends including Tom Brady, Wayne Gretzky, Aaron Judge, and Shaquille O’Neal, the spotlight remained on Hart’s hosting duties [https://www.voetbalnieuws.nl/nieuws/1718123/amerikaans-spektakel-gegarandeerd-dit-is-het-programma-van-de-wk-loting.html][https://sportnieuws.nl/voetbal/nieuws/sporticonen-duiken-op-bij-loting-voor-wk-2026-fifa-onthult-sterrenteam-2025120321534066986/]. Criticism began almost immediately on social media, where viewers dismissed the presentation as ‘cringe’ and questioned whether Hart should have been removed from the screen [https://nypost.com/2025/12/05/sports/kevin-hart-getting-panned-as-host-of-world-cup-draw-cringe/]. The presence of former U.S. President Donald Trump, who met personally with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, also drew attention, but the emotional reaction to Hart’s performance gave the event a political-entertainment tone that extended well beyond sport [https://sportnieuws.nl/voetbal/nieuws/sporticonen-duiken-op-bij-loting-voor-wk-2026-fifa-onthult-sterrenteam-2025120321534066986/][https://www.hln.be/rode-duivels/ik-ben-ook-realistisch-ga-ik-dan-nog-competitief-kunnen-zijn-lionel-messi-38-laat-nog-in-het-midden-of-hij-wk-gaat-spelen~a9345162/].
The Awkward Moments and Their Impact
Among the most criticised moments was Kevin Hart’s comment about Heidi Klum’s height, which was frequently cited across social media posts and live blogs [https://nypost.com/2025/12/05/sports/kevin-hart-getting-panned-as-host-of-world-cup-draw-cringe/][https://sportnieuws.nl/boulevard/nieuws/topmodel-52-presenteert-loting-wk-voetbal-fifa-maakt-enorme-sterren-bekend-2025120307273609697/]. Although the exact wording of Hart’s remark is not recorded in the sources, it was described as awkward and controversial, sparking a strong viral reaction [https://nypost.com/2025/12/05/sports/kevin-hart-getting-panned-as-host-of-world-cup-draw-cringe/]. These incidents were seen as emblematic of the growing blending of entertainment and sport, where personal dynamics can overshadow the sporting essence of the event [https://www.hln.be/rode-duivels/eerste-sterren-komen-toe-op-wk-loting-in-washington-lang-aanschuiven-in-de-sneeuw~a9345162/]. Social media comments such as ‘Americans are so cringe talking about football get kevin hart off my screen’ highlighted the disconnect between football fans’ expectations and FIFA’s entertainment-focused choices [https://nypost.com/2025/12/05/sports/kevin-hart-getting-panned-as-host-of-world-cup-draw-cringe/]. The overall atmosphere of the draw, described as a ‘big Infantino-and-Trump show’, reflected a sense of over-the-top spectacle, where political and entertainment elements overshadowed the sporting context [https://www.hln.be/rode-duivels/eerste-sterren-komen-toe-op-wk-loting-in-washington-lang-aanschuiven-in-de-sneeuw~a9345162/][https://sportnieuws.nl/voetbal/nieuws/sporticonen-duiken-op-bij-loting-voor-wk-2026-fifa-onthult-sterrenteam-2025120321534066986/].
The Role of Stars and the Relationship to Sport
The draw was supported by a mix of sports and entertainment icons, including former footballer Rio Ferdinand, who co-hosted alongside Samantha Johnson, and legendary athletes such as Tom Brady, Wayne Gretzky, Aaron Judge, and Shaquille O’Neal [https://sportnieuws.nl/voetbal/nieuws/sporticonen-duiken-op-bij-loting-voor-wk-2026-fifa-onthult-sterrenteam-2025120321534066986/][https://www.hln.be/rode-duivels/f-ck-fifa-f-ck-trump-politie-verwijdert-demonstrant-van-locatie-waar-wk-loting-morgen-doorgaat~a9345162/]. Ferdinand, who played for Manchester United, was seen as an attempt to blend athletic credibility with entertainment, though his past doping controversy resurfaced in some reactions [https://sportnieuws.nl/voetbal/nieuws/sporticonen-duiken-op-bij-loting-voor-wk-2026-fifa-onthult-sterrenteam-2025120321534066986/]. The presence of Trump, who held a personal meeting with President Sheinbaum, underscored the political dimension of the event, as FIFA sought to balance sport, glamour, and sensitive diplomacy [https://www.hln.be/rode-duivels/ik-ben-ook-realistisch-ga-ik-dan-nog-competitief-kunnen-zijn-lionel-messi-38-laat-nog-in-het-midden-of-hij-wk-gaat-spelen~a9345162/][https://sportnieuws.nl/voetbal/nieuws/sporticonen-duiken-op-bij-loting-voor-wk-2026-fifa-onthult-sterrenteam-2025120321534066986/]. Although the show reached a global audience via FIFA.com, NPO 1, and social media platforms, the intense focus on the presentation came at the expense of the sporting core [https://www.voetbalnieuws.nl/nieuws/1718123/amerikaans-spektakel-gegarandeerd-dit-is-het-programma-van-de-wk-loting.html].
The Intersection of Politics, Entertainment, and Sport
The event illustrated a clear trend in international sports gatherings: the increasing convergence of politics, entertainment, and sport [https://www.hln.be/rode-duivels/eerste-sterren-komen-toe-op-wk-loting-in-washington-lang-aanschuiven-in-de-sneeuw~a9345162/][https://sportnieuws.nl/voetbal/nieuws/sporticonen-duiken-op-bij-loting-voor-wk-2026-fifa-onthult-sterrenteam-2025120321534066986/]. The presence of Trump, Hart’s hosting, and performances by global celebrities gave the draw a spectacle that extended far beyond football [https://www.hln.be/rode-duivels/ik-ben-ook-realistisch-ga-ik-dan-nog-competitief-kunnen-zijn-lionel-messi-38-laat-nog-in-het-midden-of-hij-wk-gaat-spelen~a9345162/]. FIFA combined sporting ceremony with entertainment, setting what may now be the new standard for major events [https://sportnieuws.nl/boulevard/nieuws/topmodel-52-presenteert-loting-wk-voetbal-fifa-maakt-enorme-sterren-bekend-2025120307273609697/]. At the same time, social media reactions revealed the tension between the public and the organisers, as fans’ expectations often clashed with the entertainment-driven approach [https://nypost.com/2025/12/05/sports/kevin-hart-getting-panned-as-host-of-world-cup-draw-cringe/]. The speed with which digital content can dominate context became evident: a single awkward moment in a presentation could come to define an entire event, despite the presence of sports legends and international stars [https://sportnieuws.nl/voetbal/nieuws/sporticonen-duiken-op-bij-loting-voor-wk-2026-fifa-onthult-sterrenteam-2025120321534066986/].