Andrea Bocellis tragic link to soccer that caused | Music News

The 2026 FIFA World Cup draw kicked off today at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

The globally televised event was hosted by comic Kevin Hart and supermodel Heidi Klum. Italian singer Andrea Bocelli opened the ceremony with a efficiency of the aria Nessun Dorma. The 67-year-old tenor is famend for his operatic vary and for being one of the best-selling classical music performers of all time. The performer has a tragic link to the game as a soccer incident modified his life eternally.

The Con Te Partirò is vision-impaired, having misplaced his sight utterly after struggling a soccer-related injury when he was a baby.

Andrea was born with the condition congenital glaucoma, which caused him to lose his sight utterly at the age of 12 after an accident while taking part in soccer many years before he would take the stage at the FIFA event.

While the condition left him with restricted imaginative and prescient, a mind hemorrhage after being hit in the attention with a soccer ball caused him to go utterly blind.

In 2026, the championship match will function 48 groups battling it out on fields across North America as the United States, Mexico, and Canada co-host the global showdown. Along with the official lineup being determined, the league also introduced the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize to US President Donald Trump.

The World Cup draw was broadcast live worldwide and featured numerous superstar appearances from athletes, world leaders, and celebrities.

Robbie Williams and Nicole Scherzinger also carried out during the ceremony as effectively as Lauryn Hill and Village People. Former England captain Rio Ferdinand will carry out the draw, assisted by legendary athletes like Wayne Gretzky, Shaquille O’Neal, Tom Brady, and Aaron Judge.