The draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup has an official date and location, according to a recent report from ESPN.
This upcoming tournament will have 48 countries take part in it, the most in its history. The last expansion took place for the 1998 edition in France when FIFA increased the number of qualified teams from 24 to 32.
The draw will organize the 48 squads that qualify for the tournament into 12 groups of four teams. As for the order, they will go by the rankings they have when FIFA reveals the rankings after the national teams’ respective matches in November.
According to the information sources provided to ESPN, the event will take place in Las Vegas on Dec. 5. There is precedent for the draw occurring there, as the city hosted the same event for the 1994 World Cup.
Pachuca executive Pedro Cedillo, campaigning for Mexico to be the site for World Cup training camps, recently told ESPN he expected the draw to take place in Vegas.
“December 5th, 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, 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.”
What’s Next For FIFA Ahead Of 2026 World Cup Draw
GettyThe Fifa World Cup trophy is displayed ahead of the draw for the 2026 Fifa World Cup European qualifiers at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich, on December 13, 2024. (Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP) (Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images)
With FIFA reportedly making their decision on the draw’s date and location, they can look forward to the remainder of the World Cup qualifiers.
Aside from the United States, Mexico and Canada qualifying as the hosts, 10 other teams have punched in their tickets. Eight have qualified for the tournament before while there are two new debutants.
Japan, Australia, South Korea, and Iran highlight the Asian squads while Jordan and Uzbekistan make their respective debuts. Argentina, Brazil and Ecuador list the current South American teams to have qualified. From the Oceania region, New Zealand returns to the global tournament for the first time since 2010.
Africa will resume their qualifiers in September, having not been active since March. Concacaf, representing the North American, Central American, and Carribean regions, will begin their next round of matches in September with 12 squads still in completion.
South America will resume their qualifiers in September while Europe fully starts their matches with every group being active moving forward. As for Asia, their next round of matches won’t take place until October with six teams remaining.
When the draw takes place, 42 countries will have secured their spots into the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The four winners of the UEFA playoffs and the two winners of the inter-confederation playoff tournament will make up the last six spots.
There is a lot to anticipate when the tournament takes place next summer. Not only will it be the first 48-team tournament, but it will also be a World Cup for the ages with three countries hosting the biggest sports event in the world.
Report: 2026 FIFA World Cup Draw Location and Date Revealed