Sports
Las Vegas Poised to Host 2026 FIFA World Cup Draw in December
Las Vegas is reportedly set to host the official 2026 FIFA World Cup draw on Friday, December 5, becoming the center of global football attention ahead of the sport’s most prestigious tournament.
While FIFA has yet to officially confirm the venue or date, multiple reports suggest that the glitzy Nevada city has been chosen over competing cities in co-host nations Canada and Mexico.
This marks a symbolic return for Las Vegas, which also hosted the World Cup draw in 1994, the last time the tournament was held in the United States. Despite not being selected as a match host for either the 1994 or 2026 editions, Vegas has once again secured a major World Cup moment.
The 2026 edition will be historic for several reasons. It will be the first FIFA World Cup hosted jointly by three nations; the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and will feature an expanded field of 48 teams, up from the traditional 32.
The draw will unveil 12 groups of four nations each, with co-hosts Mexico (Group A), Canada (Group B), and the United States (Group D) already seeded in their respective groups.
The tournament will culminate in the final match at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on July 19, 2026.
Though Allegiant Stadium was not selected among the 11 U.S. match venues, Las Vegas is now set to play a critical role in the lead-up to the tournament. The Sphere, a futuristic entertainment venue with a 17,000-seat capacity that opened in 2023, is expected to host the high-profile draw ceremony.
The U.S. host cities are split across three regions:
Eastern: New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, Boston, Miami, Atlanta
Central: Kansas City, Dallas, Houston
Western: Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco Bay Area
In Canada, Toronto and Vancouver will host matches, while Mexico will be represented by Mexico City, Monterrey, and Guadalajara.
With qualifiers set to conclude by March 2026, including an intercontinental playoff, the December draw in Las Vegas will be the first major public step in mapping out the competition’s structure, revealing which nations will face off in the early stages of football’s global showpiece.
For fans and federations alike, all eyes will be on Las Vegas this December as the world gets one step closer to World Cup 2026.
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