Actor Danny Ramirez on World Cup draw and Avengers excitement
Actor and producer Danny Ramirez talks to FIFA about co-hosting the World Cup draw and his upcoming film 'Avengers: Doomsday'.
Actor and producer Danny Ramirez was one of the draw co-hosts
The Miami-raised star of the big screen is a massive football fan
He spoke with FIFA about his love for the sport and Avengers: Doomsday
The final draw for the FIFA World Cup 2026™ was a star-studded event in which lovers of the game convened at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington DC to learn the group stage fates of the confirmed 42 participating teams.
Among those headlining the event was actor and producer Danny Ramirez. The star of such films like Captain America: Brave New World and Top Gun: Maverick, Ramirez served as one of the co-hosts of the event.
A football lover at heart, Ramirez was left almost speechless at the collection of FIFA Legends in attendance.
“This is insane. It’s one of those moments that when the conversation started, I was like, ‘Are you kidding me?’ said Ramirez in an interview with FIFA. “This is something that as a kid I remember tuning in to. It’s the beginning of my holiday season, and the draw feels like the opening of gifts, every single ball that pops out with a name on it is going to be like opening gifts.”
The 33-year-old was born in Chicago and raised in Miami and has fond memories of watching World Cups as a child. In particular, South Africa 2010 holds a special place in his heart, so it was quite the thrill for Ramirez when he had a chance to meet Uruguay sensation Diego Forlan on the red carpet prior to the draw.
“It’s been a dream as I walked around,” said Ramirez. “The first person that I saw was Diego Forlan. It’s one of those moments that when you talk about meeting your heroes, I always reference when you meet the heroes you had as a kid versus heroes you develop in your profession or craft. So when I meet acting heroes, I’m like, ‘Alright, this is great. Cool. It’s a peer, someone I respect, it’s great.’
“But when I meet a hero that I had when I was a kid, I almost revert to being a kid again. With Diego Forlan, I revert back to 2010 and watching him score absolute bangers, that free-kick, that’s the first thing I thought of, so there’s a different kind of sensation to have when you go up to your legends. I saw Pepe checking into the hotel and I just said, ‘Oh my God!’”
You can also count Ramirez was a fan of the new format for next year’s global showpiece, with 48 teams getting a chance to strut their stuff in Canada, Mexico and the USA.
“It’s a dream and a global celebration,” added Ramirez. “The 48 countries thing of it all is great… When I played FIFA on my PS5 or when I was a kid on my PS1 or PS2, I created these tournaments and playing in different versions of the World Cup, so seeing the draw and how that is going to happen is like experiencing it myself.”
While 2026 stands to be a hugely exciting year in the world of football, there will be plenty to look forward to for Ramirez. He is one of the stars of Avengers: Doomsday, a film that audiences are sure to love.
“It’s incredibly exciting because of the craftsmen on board,” said Ramirez. “What the Russo Brothers [Joe and Anthony] were able to bring on collectively from every department head is top of the game. The entire cast is sharing some scenes with people that I grew up watching as a kid, and alongside also other people that I know like Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan and Lewis Pullman, it’s going to blow everyone’s minds.
“So far everything that we’ve shot gets me excited, and so when it gets the actors in the scenes excited, I think the fans are going to go crazy.”