It started with the sublime – Andrea Bocelli performing Nessun Dorma – and then via a circuitous route involving FIFA President Gianni Infantino playing every role from cheerleader to comedian, and a somewhat cringy award, followed by the drawing of the three home nations by their respective Presidents and Prime Ministers, to land eventually at the business end of the World Cup Draw.
The rules and protocols were better than usual, with young kids telling us and draw host Rio Ferdinand via a video classroom.
Lauryn Hill and Robbie Williams provided musical accompaniment, and there was a very multilingual vibe, with many interviews conducted entirely in Spanish.
This is the first World Cup draw that the Republic of Ireland has been involved in since 2002, and for Northern Ireland since 1986.
It also wasn’t the only Irish involvement with Irish experiential specialists Catapult playing a leading role in the design and delivery of the show.
This activation forms part of a multi-year collaboration with FIFA, which began when Catapult successfully delivered the official World Cup brand launch in Los Angeles — a global live broadcast carried by 26 international networks and viewed across multiple continents.
In 2024, Catapult secured a creative consultancy contract with FIFA, evolving into an ongoing creative and production partnership through to the conclusion of the 2026 tournament.
The agency’s global operations and direction remain rooted in Dublin, where teams across strategy, creative, design, technology and production drive the innovation behind these major international projects.
“We’re very proud to be trusted by FIFA at such an extraordinary moment of the World Cup 2026,” says Des O’Leary, Managing Director of Catapult. “What’s most meaningful to us is that our work delivers on the world’s most ambitious stages.”
“From Los Angeles to Washington, D.C., and across North America, we’re proud to be placing Irish talent and Catapult at the centre of global cultural moments. Operating at the world’s biggest events gives us the talent, processes, and insights to help local clients deliver experiences that truly compete on a global level.”
Beyond FIFA, Catapult continues to apply its international expertise to Irish and global brands alike, including Diageo, Mastercard, Tryka and Amazon.
Not only this but members of the team will be flying out from Washington over the weekend to join Sport for Business as part of our Annual Women in Sport Conference in Tallaght Stadium next Tuesday.
From one billion sets of eyes to home they are a pleasure to deal with.
And so the draw.
The Republic of Ireland, represented as European Qualifier D, will, if they make it through March’s play off series, play against Korea, then South Africa, then Mexico in Mexico City.
Northern Ireland, represented as European Qualifier A, will meet Canada in their opening game, followed by Switzerland and Qatar, if they progress.
We’ll have more on this next week…
Image Credit: Sport for Business
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