Even when the world’s eyes were on the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., on Friday, NFL legend Tom Brady found a way to steal the spotlight with a hilarious jab at NBA icon Shaquille O’Neal.

This star-studded event determined the initial groups and paths for the 48 teams competing in the massive tournament. However, the action wasn’t limited to just the country selections. Tom Brady stole with a hilarious message on his Instagram account, targeting Shaquille O’Neal’s immense size.

“Let’s get Shaq a backup goalie tryout!”

This cross-sport trolling generated social media buzz, with people imagining O’Neal as a literal human wall between the posts. This immediately went viral, reminding everyone that Brady knows exactly how to capture the moment.

Meanwhile, in the FIFA World Cup 2026 draw, the majority of the groups have now been chosen, but the final field of 48 teams is not yet complete. Six teams will remain unknown until March 2026, with four of those spots being filled by the 16-team UEFA playoffs. The anticipation is already building for the summer of 2026!

The FIFA World Cup 2026 draw saw sports royalty from outside the football world stepping up to assist, including American football legend Tom Brady, basketball icon Shaquille O’Neal, hockey great Wayne Gretzky, and current baseball All-Star Aaron Judge.

Each legend was assigned a pot: Brady selected the teams from Pot 1, O’Neal handled Pot 2, and Judge and Gretzky took on Pots 3 and 4, respectively, pulling the random balls that decided the groupings.

Tom Brady joined in the fun with other celebrities at the official draw of the 2026 World Cup 

The official draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup was a grand event that successfully mixed high-level global politics with A-list sports celebrities. The ceremony featured President Donald Trump, who was on hand to receive a special honor: FIFA’s first-ever Peace Prize.

The main drawing ceremony was emceed by a star-studded lineup that included former football star Rio Ferdinand, supermodel Heidi Klum, and comedian Kevin Hart. The atmosphere was immediately injected with humor during the introduction of the athletes who would be assisting with the draw. 

Tom Brady talked about how great the experience had been. 

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“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.” 

Another major highlight of the event was when legendary basketball player Shaquille O’Neal took the stage. His immense height in comparison to Kevin Hart’s short height became a source of immediate amusement. O’Neal, known for his playful personality, intentionally moved closer to Hart to intimidate him jokingly.

In a funny reaction that brought the house down, the quick-thinking comedian pretended to push the massive player away in a puff of smoke.

The fun continued when Brady joined the light-hearted chaos, trying to push O’Neal playfully.

Once the crowd had settled down, Shaq delivered a joke typical of his on-screen persona that quickly became a trending topic. 

“You know what they call me in the soccer world?” 

He quickly offered the punchline himself: “David Blackham.”

The remark, a playful spin on David Beckham’s name, was met with roaring laughter, especially from Rio Ferdinand, who had once been Beckham’s teammate, highlighting the celebratory and relaxed mood among the sports icons.