Ice hockey's 'Great One', Wayne Gretzky, found himself on unfamiliar ground during Friday's glitzy 2026 FIFA World Cup draw, where a series of pronunciation blunders turned the NHL legend into an unlikely source of viral comedy.
A Star-Studded But Awkward Spectacle
The remarkable crossover event, held at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. at 5pm GMT on 5th December 2025, saw Gretzky join a panel of American sporting royalty. He stood alongside NFL icon Tom Brady, MLB star Aaron Judge, and NBA champion Shaquille O'Neal to assist in determining the groups for the 48-nation tournament, which will be hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Gretzky, representing co-host nation Canada, was given the tricky task of revealing the final nations for each group, reading from slips that included countries yet to qualify through playoffs. However, the four-time Stanley Cup winner's foray into global football nomenclature proved hilariously difficult.
"Mack-a-donia" and "Cur-o-co": The Gaffes Go Viral
The hockey hall-of-famer struggled notably with several country names, mispronouncing North Macedonia as 'Mack-a-donia' and the Caribbean island of Curaçao as 'Cur-o-co'. He also placed the emphasis on the wrong syllable when announcing Jordan.
Social media users were quick to seize on the errors, with one clip of Gretzky attempting 'Curaçao' spreading rapidly. "Wayne Gretzky absolutely butchering every country name is pure comedy gold," wrote one observer, encapsulating the online reaction. Another quipped, "The World Cup Group of Death is Wayne Gretzky and any country's name he has to pronounce."
Some criticism was also directed at the draw's organisers for assigning the most linguistically challenging pot to Gretzky. "How has nobody given Wayne Gretzky a rundown on pronunciations my god," questioned a stunned viewer, while others contrasted his performance with Aaron Judge's flawless delivery of the nation names.
Unifying Message Amidst the Mockery
Despite the humorous mishaps, the 64-year-old sports icon emphasised the unifying power of the upcoming tournament in his pre-draw remarks. "Soccer has a unique power to unite people from all over the world and create a positive impact," Gretzky stated, expressing his thrill at being part of the historic draw for the biggest-ever FIFA World Cup.
The event itself was not without other notable moments, including former US President Donald Trump receiving FIFA's first-ever 'Peace' award from president Gianni Infantino. Gretzky's participation also comes amid scrutiny back in Canada over his recent links to Trump, having been pictured playing golf with him just last week.
Ultimately, while his hockey records for career assists and points remain untouchable, Wayne Gretzky's attempt at global geography provided a light-hearted, cringe-worthy interlude in the high-stakes World Cup draw, ensuring his role will be remembered as much for its comedy as its sporting prestige.
