Wayne Gretzky, revered as the “Great One” in the hockey realm, found himself in unfamiliar territory during the 2026 World Cup draw for soccer. The NHL legend, now 64, joined a stellar lineup of sports icons, including NFL titan Tom Brady, MLB powerhouse Aaron Judge, and NBA champion Shaquille O’Neal, to assist in unveiling the tournament’s groupings. This exciting event, set to unfold across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, brought together 48 nations to learn their paths for the coming summer showdown.

Gretzky, celebrated as arguably the greatest hockey player of all time, was given the critical role of announcing the final nations in each group. Following the lead of his fellow sports stars, he drew names from the designated pots. However, his participation added a comedic twist to a draw already sprinkled with its own share of awkward moments.

Despite his prowess on the ice, the Canadian hockey icon faced the unenviable challenge of reading slips bearing the names of countries yet to secure their spots through ongoing playoff qualifications. This task proved to be a humorous struggle, as Gretzky found himself fumbling over the pronunciation of several nations, much to the delight of social media users who didn’t hesitate to poke fun.

Overall, while Gretzky’s contributions may not have been flawless, his efforts brought a light-hearted touch to the proceedings. His participation alongside other sporting greats added an intriguing crossover of sports cultures, highlighting the universal excitement and anticipation leading up to the 2026 World Cup.

The four-time Stanley Cup winner admittedly had the toughest task, reading the slips that contained multiple countries’ names that are still awaiting to qualify in their respective conferences’ playoffs. 

However, he hilariously struggled pronouncing a number of nations, resulting in brutal mocking on social media. 

Wayne Gretzky was tasked with revealing the final nations for each group at World Cup draw

The NHL legend struggled with the pronunciation of several countries during the event 

Gretzky mispronounced North Macedonia as ‘Mack-a-donia’ and Curacao as ‘Cur-o-co,’ while placed the emphasis on the wrong part of Jordan. 

And fans were quick to rip the hockey great for his errors, joking that they would ‘last for long time on the internet.’  

‘Wayne Gretzky absolutely butchering every country name is pure comedy gold,’ one social media user wrote, while a second sarcastically added: ‘Shout out to Gretzky for learning to read live on air.’

‘Wayne Gretzky has pronounced Macedonia as “Mack-a-donia” and Curaçao as “Corocco”. Is it possible to butcher a country’s name as badly as he has?’ another questioned. 

‘The World Cup Group of Death is Wayne Gretzky and any country’s name he has to pronounce,’ one joked.  

Meanwhile, others appeared to blame draw organizers for leaving Gretzky with the toughest task.  

One asked: ‘Christ they got Wayne Gretzky reading the long ones????’ 

‘How has nobody given Wayne Gretzky a rundown on pronunciations my god,’ another stunned user questioned. 

The four-time Stanley Cup winner’s series of gaffes resulted in brutal mocking on social media

Another used New York Yankees captain Judge’s flawless delivery to poke further fun at Gretzky, posting: ‘Props to Aaron Judge for nailing every country name. Props to Wayne Gretzky for being a great hockey player.’

The remarkable crossover of sport legends took to the stage at the Kennedy Center at 12pm ET (5pm GMT) on Friday to assist with the unprecedented draw, which decided the groups for 48 nations for next year’s blockbuster tournament.

Gretzky stepped in to represent Canada, one of the host nations alongside with US and Mexico, alongside the trio of American athletes.

He is widely considered to be the greatest hockey player of all time, boasting a host of NHL records, including – but not limited – most career assists and points.

Yet Gretzky has come under fire from his countrymen back in Canada over the past couple of months over his links to US President Donald Trump, who he was pictured playing golf with just last week.

Trump was in attendance at the glitzy event in DC, where he was honored with FIFA’s first-ever Peace by the governing body’s president, Gianni Infantino.  

But the former Edmonton Oilers star chose to stress the importance of the unifying power of the World Cup ahead of participating in its draw.

‘Soccer has a unique power to unite people from all over the world and create a positive impact, and I cannot wait to see this happening in North America next year and beyond, when we host the biggest-ever FIFA World Cup,’ said Gretzky.

‘I’m thrilled to be part of the draw that will decide the fate of the participating teams – and stir emotions across the world. This will be an unforgettable moment for me personally.’