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.
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:
Canada
- Toronto (BMO Field)
- Vancouver (BC Place)
Mexico
- Guadalajara (Estadio Akron)
- Mexico City (Estadio Azteca)
- Monterrey (Estadio BBVA)
United States
- Atlanta (Mercedez-Benz Stadium)
- Boston (Gillette Stadium)
- Dallas (AT&T Stadium)
- Houston (NRG Stadium)
- Kansas City (Arrowhead Stadium)
- Los Angeles (SoFi Stadium)
- Miami (Hard Rock Stadium)
- New York/New Jersey (MetLife Stadium)
- Philadelphia (Lincoln Financial Field)
- San Francisco Bay Area (Levi’s Stadium)
- Seattle (Lumen Field)
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:
Host nations
- Canada
- Mexico
- United States
Africa (9 direct spots)
No team has yet qualified via the Confederation of African Football (CAF)’s qualifying process.
Asia (8 direct spots)
- Japan
- Iran
- Uzbekistan
- South Korea
- Jordan
- Australia
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.
Europe (16 direct spots)
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.
North America and the Caribbean (3 direct spots + 2 playoff spots)
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.
Oceania (1 direct spot + 1 playoff spot)
- New Zealand
New Caledonia has secured a spot as Oceania’s playoff representative.
South America (6 direct spots + 1 playoff spot)
- Argentina
- Brazil
- Ecuador
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!
