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The Guardian
30-07-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Las Vegas reportedly set to host 2026 World Cup draw on 5 December
Las Vegas is set to host the 2026 Fifa World Cup draw on 5 December, according to multiple reports, marking the second time the Nevada city will stage the tournament's group-stage ceremony. But despite widespread speculation, the Sphere will not be hosting the event due to a scheduling conflict. Sources told ESPN that Las Vegas was chosen over candidate cities in Canada and Mexico, though Fifa has not yet confirmed either the date or location. The draw will assign the 48 participating nations into 12 groups of four, reflecting the first time the men's tournament will feature an expanded 48-team field and span three host countries: the United States, Canada and Mexico. Las Vegas previously hosted the World Cup draw in 1994, the last time the tournament was held in the United States. That year's ceremony was staged at the Las Vegas Convention Center, a venue that is unavailable this time around. Allegiant Stadium, home to the NFL's Raiders, was also passed over as a World Cup match site during the host city selection process. The 11 US cities selected for 2026 are divided into three geographic regions. New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, Boston, Miami and Atlanta comprise the East; Kansas City, Dallas and Houston make up the Central region; and Los Angeles, Seattle and the San Francisco Bay Area represent the West. Mexico's venues include Guadalajara, Monterrey and Mexico City, while Toronto and Vancouver will host matches in Canada. Mexico, Canada and the United States have already been placed in Groups A, B and D respectively. The tournament will conclude on 19 July 2026, with the final set to be played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. While early reports pointed to the Sphere – a state-of-the-art, 17,500-seat venue boasting a 54,000-square-meter wraparound LED screen – as the frontrunner to host the draw, sources close to the venue confirmed to the Guardian it is unavailable due to a previously scheduled concert. That, along with the Convention Center being booked, leaves the final venue for the draw still unannounced. Pedro Cedillo, a Pachuca executive involved in World Cup preparations, told ESPN: 'I understand it will be in Las Vegas, and that's where we need to be present.' Fifa has yet to comment on the venue or timing of the event.
Straits Times
30-07-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Fifa World Cup draw in Vegas on Dec 5: reports
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The 2026 Fifa World Cup draw is set to take place on Dec 5. LOS ANGELES – Las Vegas will play host to the 2026 World Cup draw on Dec 5, according to multiple reports on July 30. ESPN and TUDN'Mexico said that the desert city of Vegas had been picked for the draw of the expanded 48-team global football event, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. In all, 12 groups of four nations will be drawn. Mexico (Group A), Canada (Group B) and the United States (Group D) have already been selected for their groups. When the United States played host to the 1994 World Cup, the draw ceremony was also conducted in Las Vegas. Vegas was reportedly selected over cities in Canada and Mexico this time. However, Fifa officials have not officially confirmed the date or site. Pachuca executive Pedro Cedillo, who is campaigning for Mexico to be the site for World Cup training camps, recently told ESPN he expected the draw to take place in Vegas. 'Dec 5, if I'm not mistaken, is precisely the day the draw takes place, or at the beginning of December,' he said. 'I understand it will be in Las Vegas.' ESPN's original report said that The Sphere, a 17,500-seat venue which opened in 2023, was seen as the front runner for the draw site. But Sphere sources confirmed to AFP that the World Cup draw would not take place there, and ESPN later reported that Sphere sources told the sports network it would not be held there. In 1994, the draw was staged in Las Vegas even though it was not a host city for any matches, a situation that is also the case for next year's event. Reuters said that Las Vegas' Allegiant Stadium was rejected as a host venue. Eleven United States cities/venues were selected, along with three in Mexico (Guadalajara, Mexico City, and Monterrey) and two in Canada (Toronto and Vancouver). The US sites are divided into three regions. New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, Boston, Miami and Atlanta are a part of the Eastern region, Kansas City, Dallas and Houston comprise a part of the Central Region, while Los Angeles, Seattle and the San Francisco Bay area make up three of the four cities in the Western Region. Only 13 teams, including the hosts USA, Mexico and Canada, have qualified for the World Cup so far. The rest are Japan, New Zealand, Iran, Argentina, Uzbekistan, South Korea, Jordan, Australia, Brazil and Ecuador. MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jerset, will host the final match on July 19, 2026. In other news, Fifa last weekend inaugurated a regional office in Morocco – the first in North Africa and fifth in the continent – as the kingdom ramps up preparations for the 2030 World Cup which it will host jointly with Spain and Portugal. 'This is a day that will be written in golden letters in the magnificent history of Fifa, African football, Moroccan football, and world football,' said Fifa president Gianni Infantino at the inauguration ceremony. The inauguration, also attended by the head of the African Football Confederation, Patrice Motsepe, took place before the 2025 Women's Africa Cup of Nations final in Rabat, the capital where Morocco faced Nigeria. The Nigerians won 3-2. Morocco will be the second African nation to host the World Cup in 2030, following South Africa's edition in 2010. This follows five unsuccessful bids by the kingdom. Fifa's other African offices are located in Senegal, the Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and South Africa. AFP, REUTERS
USA Today
30-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
2026 FIFA World Cup draw to be held in Las Vegas
They say "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas," but FIFA might have to break the tradition when it comes to the 2026 World Cup draw. A report from ESPN says that Las Vegas will host the draw for soccer's biggest spectacle, which will be hosted at venues across the United States, Mexico, and Canada next year. FIFA has yet to officially announce a venue or date for the draw. The 2026 World Cup will be the first to include 48 teams, and the first to be hosted by three nations. 11 U.S. cities will host games, along with three Mexican cities (Guadalajara, Mexico City, and Monterrey), and two more in Canada (Toronto and Vancouver). Las Vegas submitted a bid to host matches at Allegiant Stadium, but were rejected during the voting process. The draw will be used to sort the 48 teams that qualify for the tournament into 12 groups of four. Mexico (Group A), Canada (Group B), and the U.S. (Group D) have already been placed in their respective groups. The report says that Canadian and Mexican venues were considered for the draw, but were ultimately ruled out. ESPN cited Pedro Cedillo, an executive at Mexican club CF Pachuca, that he expects to be in Sin City on December 5 to present competing teams with information about training camp bases in the Mexican state of Hidalgo. Las Vegas also hosted the draw for the 1994 World Cup, the last time the men's version of the tournament was held on U.S. soil. However, per ESPN's report, the draw is likely to be held at The Sphere, a 17,500-capacity venue featuring a unique spherical screen. The Sphere, opened in 2023, has rapidly become a Vegas landmark at events like F1's Las Vegas Grand Prix. 2026 World Cup: What to know ahead of biggest soccer tournament in the world World Cup 2026: What cities will host games? Matches at the 2026 World Cup will take place in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Here is a full list of cities and corresponding venues: World Cup 2026: Which countries have qualified? Of the 48 spots available at the 2026 World Cup, 13 places have been claimed. Qualifying in each of FIFA's six confederations is ongoing, but in some cases teams have still clinched their place. Additionally, the final six places will be determined by an intercontinental playoff in March 2026, with six teams that narrowly missed qualifying directly getting one last shot. Here is a breakdown of who has already qualified for the 2026 World Cup: No team has yet qualified via the Confederation of African Football (CAF)'s qualifying process. Asia has one more round of qualifying that will determine the final two nations to secure an automatic berth at the World Cup, as well as the two teams that will battle for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC)'s one spot in the intercontinental playoff. No team has claimed one of UEFA's 16 berths at the 2026 World Cup. In many cases, qualifying has not even started yet, as the process is staggered based on group size. CONCACAF has not begun the decisive third round of its World Cup qualifying process, but has at least winnowed a pool of 32 entrants down to a final 12 teams. Canada, Mexico, and the United States did not have to participate in qualifying, as FIFA grants host nations an automatic berth. New Caledonia has secured a spot as Oceania's playoff representative. While Uruguay and Paraguay have not officially clinched a spot in the 2026 World Cup, both cannot fall further than seventh in CONMEBOL's qualifying process, meaning the worst either country can do is advance to the intercontinental playoff. USA TODAY Sports' 48-page special edition commemorates 30 years of Major League Soccer, from its best players to key milestones and championship dynasties to what exciting steps are next with the World Cup ahead. Order your copy today!
The Guardian
29-07-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Las Vegas reportedly set to host Fifa World Cup draw on 5 December
Las Vegas will play host to the 2026 World Cup draw on 5 December, according to multiple reports, with the Sphere hotly tipped to serve as the ceremony site for the expanded 48-team tournament. Sources told ESPN that Vegas was selected after potential venues in Canada and Mexico were ruled out for the draw, which will determine the 12 groups of four nations competing in the first 48-team men's World Cup, jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. Pedro Cedillo, a Pachuca executive advocating for World Cup training camps in Mexico, confirmed to ESPN that he expected the draw to be held in Las Vegas. 'I understand it will be in Las Vegas, and that's where we need to be present,' he said. In 1994, when the US last hosted the World Cup, the draw was also staged in Las Vegas, despite it not being a match host city, a scenario that will repeat in 2026. The Sphere, a 17,500-seat venue that opened in 2023 and boasts a 54,000-square-meter LED screen, is the leading candidate to stage the event, though official confirmation has not yet been made. The Las Vegas Convention Center, the 1994 draw venue, is unavailable for this year's date.
