FIFA World Cup draw in Vegas on December 5: reports

The World Cup trophy is displayed before the UEFA Preliminary Draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup soccer tournament at FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, Dec. 13, 2024. (Til Buergy/Keystone via AP, File)

LOS ANGELES — Las Vegas will play host to the 2026 World Cup draw on December 5, according to multiple reports on Tuesday, with The Sphere serving as the ceremony site.

ESPN and TUDN’Mexico said Vegas had been picked for the draw of the expanded 48-team event, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

In all, 12 groups of four nations will be drawn.

When the United States played host to the 1994 World Cup, the draw ceremony was also conducted in Las Vegas.

ESPN’s report said that The Sphere, a 17,500-seat venue which opened in 2023 that boasts a screen of 54,000 square meters, was seen as the front-runner for the draw site.

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.