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Kevin Hart and Heidi Klum were the co-hosts for the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw, which took place in Washington, D.C., on Friday, December 5. The US, Canada, and Mexico are set to host arguably the biggest football tournament next summer.
Numerous dignitaries attended and participated in the World Cup draw on Friday. Along with Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) president Gianni Infantino, the likes of Donald Trump, Claudia Sheinbaum, and Mark Carney also attended the event.
However, a big part of the focus after the event went towards Kevin Hart and Heidi Klum. The co-hosts had a big height difference, which led to multiple jokes being aimed at Hart. The comedian and actor also appeared to have some tough moments on stage.
Kevin Hart is 5 feet 5 inches tall, while Heidi Klum is 5 feet 9 inches. This led to multiple jokes about the comedian. Moreover, as the two co-hosts went on stage, the audience reception didn't appear to be as expected. Hence, Hart tried to encourage the audience by saying:
“You guys can do better than that! Come on! Make some noise in the air one time!”
However, it appeared to fall on deaf ears, and it became a slightly awkward moment. Many users online labeled the pairing of Hart and Klum as "cringe". The Irish Mirror journalist Andrew Quinn posted on X (formerly Twitter):
"Kevin Hart and Heidi Klum hosting the World Cup draw in the Kennedy Centre in Washington is a newly discovered level of cringe."
The 2026 FIFA World Cup, meanwhile, will begin on June 11, 2026, and end on July 19.
Manchester United legend opens up about hosting World Cup draw with the likes of Kevin Hart, Heidi Klum, and others
One of the hosts at the event was Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand. The former England centre-back said that even he was nervous before the event. However, he added that being around so many celebrities made it a great evening for him.
Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel:
"I was on the stage with Big Shaq [Shaquille O'Neal], Kevin Hart, Heidi Klum, Tom Brady, Wayne Gretzky, and all the other guys that was on there. It was just a great evening to be here, man. I've played football in front of some hefty crowds but I've never been this nervous for anything because... I think it's when I'm playing football it's a bit of a controllable nervousness."
He added:
"Whereas with this it's the uncertainty, the unknown. How am I going to react? Are my legs going to even be able to carry me where I need to go? So all of those things that you worry about and you're concerned about, but once I got out here after a couple of minutes, I felt nice and and the guys helped me. All these guys are super experienced. So being a part of that was great."
Ferdinand also explained that he wasn't really happy with England's draw, as they got Croatia, Ghana, and Panama in their group.
