FIFA sets December 5 for 2026 World Cup draw in Las Vegas

FIFA has confirmed that the official draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup will take place on December 5, 2025, in Las Vegas, Nevada, according to a report by ESPN.

The highly anticipated draw will be staged in the United States after the football governing body reportedly ruled out alternative locations in Canada and Mexico, the two other co-hosts of the tournament.

The 2026 edition of the World Cup will be the first to feature 48 participating nations, up from the traditional 32-team format, and will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Speaking on the development, Pedro Cedillo, an executive of Mexican club Pachuca, confirmed the date and venue during a media interaction.

“December 5, if I’m not mistaken, is precisely the day the draw takes place, or at the beginning of December,” Cedillo said. “I understand it will be in Las Vegas, and that’s where we need to be present to provide information about the city of Pachuca, the state of Hidalgo, and the two venues we have.”

The Las Vegas Convention Center, which hosted a similar FIFA event in the build-up to the 1994 World Cup in the U.S., is once again expected to be the venue for the 2026 draw.

The expanded format of the tournament will bring new dynamics to the draw, as FIFA prepares to accommodate 16 additional teams for the first time in the competition’s history.

The tournament is set to span 16 host cities across the three countries, marking the first tri-nation World Cup in the history of the sport.

Further details regarding seedings, group allocations, and draw procedures are expected to be released by FIFA closer to the event date.