OTD E0034 — 04 Dec 1997: Balls, Bowls & Global Spectacle — When the World Cup Draw Grew Up

04 Dec 1997: in Marseille, FIFA stages an all-star FIFA XI vs Europe XI game, then draws the groups for France ’98 in front of a global TV audience. We use that night as a lens to trace the history of World Cup draws – from low-key admin in the 1930s and 1950s to televised theatre in London 1966, Vegas glitz for USA ’94, Leipzig and Cape Town, Kremlin and Doha. Along the way we hit quirks, controversies and “groups of death” – and tee up the Kennedy Center draw for the 2026 World Cup.Tips/corrections: [email protected]