Drawing for the FIFA World Cup scheduled for December 5 in Las Vegas, according to reports.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup, set to be the first edition featuring 48 teams, will have its draw ceremony in a familiar location: Las Vegas, Nevada. This decision marks a return to the city that hosted the draw for the 1994 tournament, despite not being a host city for any matches in the upcoming event.
Although The Sphere, a 17,500-seat venue that opened in 2023, was initially considered as a potential site for the draw ceremony, it will not be the venue for the event. Reports from ESPN suggest that scheduling conflicts may have led to this change[1][2].
The draw ceremony, scheduled for December 5, 2025, will organise the 48 qualified teams into 12 groups for the co-hosted tournament by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The teams will then compete in a round-robin format, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the knockout stages[1][3].
This expanded 48-team World Cup will be the third time the tournament is co-hosted, following South Korea and Japan in 2002 and Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay in 1950. The first World Cup to feature 48 teams was originally planned for 2022, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic[3].
Sources:
- FIFA.com, "FIFA World Cup 2026: Draw Ceremony Location Changed", https://www.fifa.com/worldcup/news/fi fa-world-cup-2026-draw-ceremony-location-changed
- ESPN, "The Sphere will not host the 2026 World Cup draw", https://www.espn.com/soccer/world-cup/2026/story/4658416/the-sphere-will-not-host-the-2026-world-cup-draw
- BBC Sport, "FIFA World Cup 2026: What we know so far", https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/57069897
- The 2026 FIFA World Cup draw ceremony, initially contemplated for The Sphere, will not take place at the venue due to scheduling conflicts, contrary to initial plans.
- scheduled for December 5, 2025, the draw ceremony will allocate the 48 qualified teams into 12 groups for the co-hosted tournament by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
- Although Las Vegas, Nevada, will host the draw ceremony for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the city is not a host city for any matches in the upcoming event.
- Despite Canada being a co-host for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, sports-betting enthusiasts should note that Las Vegas, Nevada, renowned for its casino-and-gambling scene, remains a hub for sports-betting, including football matches from the tournament.
