Las Vegas Among Candidates to Host FIFA 2026 World Cup Draw

Las Vegas is emerging as a potential host for the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw in December, industry sources have told SportsTravel, although no final decision has been taken and other unnamed cities are said to be still in contention.

Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium has been a regular spot for Concacaf events, including the 2021 Gold Cup final, 2023 Nations League semifinals and final and three matches in the 2024 Copa América. It will be one of the sites for the 2025 Gold Cup and has been a popular spot for international club friendlies including a 2022 game between Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Las Vegas was not one of the cities under consideration to host World Cup matches after the city passed on bidding in 2018, citing in part the costs that would be incurred to retrofit Allegiant Stadium for FIFA standards. At the time, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority President and Chief Operating Officer Steve Hill said Vegas would have needed to do more than $100 million in adjustments.

Still, the feeling of FIFA wanting to have Vegas be part of the World Cup persisted throughout the process. When Los Angeles and FIFA were having at a temporary impasse over the host city contract, ESPN’s John Sutcliffe reported that FIFA was on the verge of dropping Los Angeles and adding Las Vegas, although that ended up not happening.

Should Las Vegas end up selected as host for the draw, it would be the first major FIFA 2026-related event not to be at a host city. The announcement of the host cities was made from a TV studio in the New York City region before the logo was revealed in Los Angeles. When the schedule was released and New York/New Jersey was awarded the final, FIFA President Gianni Infantino made the announcement from a television studio in Miami.

The final month of the year in Las Vegas is highlighted by the National Finals Rodeo at the Thomas & Mack Center from December 4–13. There would also be games for the NFL’s Raiders and NHL’s Golden Knights to schedule around and a variety of holiday concert residencies.

Alejandro Hutt, host city manager of Monterrey, told ESPN Deportes in January that it and Vancouver both submitted bids to host the draw and were told by FIFA that the event would not be going to either city, adding “it will surely be another city in the United States that is not a World Cup host.”

As for a timeline on when FIFA would make an announcement on where the draw will be headed, one date to watch would be the 75th FIFA Congress in Asunción, Paraguay, on May 15.

Base Camp Options to Increase

FIFA has so far announced 49 options around North America for base camps that teams can use during the 2026 World Cup, one more than the number of participating teams. The plan is to release another group of potential base camp options this spring before a final group announced in the fall with a target of approximately 68 total options for countries.

Among the current options are 32 cities that are not hosting World Cup games. Of the 11 U.S. cities that will host matches, six— New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, Houston, Dallas, Atlanta and Kansas City — also have base camp options. Dallas has five options, the most of any city, while Atlanta and Kansas City both have two options. The New York/New Jersey option is in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Teams will submit their selections for base camps following the Final Draw, with teams picking base camp locations in accordance with the FIFA world ranking. FIFA’s catalog of current base camp options is available online including a map that shows the distance between the current options and the 2026 host cities.

Frustration Seeps In

Miami Host Committee Co-Chair Rodney Barreto admitted recently to the Miami Herald “that we’re a little frustrated with FIFA because they haven’t cut us loose yet; they’ve kind of tied our hands with respect to what we can offer sponsors.”

Each city can have up to 10 designated Host City Supporters but those deals cannot conflict with FIFA’s global sponsors. Industry sources have said that restriction has caused issues with host cities who want to get recognizable local sponsors but whose spheres of business conflict with FIFA’s ongoing global search.

FIFA hosted a two-day workshop in Miami in January and The Herald reported “several host city officials complained during the workshop about lack of clarity from FIFA about what host committees are allowed to offer prospective sponsors. FIFA is working on getting the answers, Barreto said.”

Barreto shares co-chair duties on the Miami Host Committee with Alina Hudak. Miami will host seven matches including a Round of 32 game, quarterfinal and third-place match.

Around World Cup Preparations

• The Harris County Sports & Convention Corp. has approved funding for thousands of new seat parts at NRG Stadium in Houston, which will host seven matches including two knockout-round games. The stadium also needs to modify the seating bowl for the field to be FIFA-regulated size so the venue will remove existing seats in the corners off of concrete platforms and install them onto new aluminum platforms, according to the Houston Business Journal.
• The Bay Area Host Committee has reached an agreement on the finances of hosting matches next summer at Levi’s Stadium with the Santa Clara City Council. Six matches will be at Levi’s Stadium, which also hosts the Super Bowl in February 2026. In a four-hour session that began Tuesday night and ended with a 5-2 approval, City Attorney Glen Googins said matches “will cost as much” as $50 million to stage with most of that coming for police and security costs. The Bay Area Host Committee said in a statement it will reimburse the city for all of its costs associated with the World Cup.
• Philadelphia 2026 is launching a 12-day fundraising campaign, encouraging people to donate $26 to support youth soccer in Pennsylvania with nearly two dozen giveaways including the chance to get tickets for the 2026 World Cup, 2025 FIFA Club World Cup and other Philadelphia sports experiences. The campaign started February 18 and extends through March 1. More information is on LinkedIn and donations can be made here as well.
• The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that personal hospitality packages for eight matches in Atlanta would range from $21,800 to $40,400. Prices for all packages at all sites will be set by FIFA and On Location, its hospitality partner. Ticket-inclusive packages offering access to suites and hospitality are expected to become available later this year.
• NorthJersey.com reported $7.5 million will be added to the loan given to the host committee for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The outlet said the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority initially provided a $5 million revolving loan and last year an additional $2.5 million was added before another $7.5 million doubled the loan amount. More than $33 million of taxpayer money is also being used on a design-build contract for the new pedestrian bridge near MetLife Stadium. The authority has formed a “Major Events Committee” ahead of hosting eight matches including the final.
• The Boston Host Committee have named State Street Corporation Chairman and CEO Ron O’Hanley as chair the Boston 26 Honorary Board comprised of public and private sector leaders who will provide strategic guidance and vision to Boston 26.
• Destination British Columbia has started the British Columbia Tourism Football Club (BC Tourism FC) ahead of Vancouver’s seven matches. The setup is part of a strategy “to ensure BC’s tourism sector fully capitalizes on the opportunities FIFA 2026 brings.”
• Ollamani, parent company of the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City that will host the opening match for the World Cup, has announced that $74.24 million is currently committed to the venue’s redevelopment, with the final total remaining unclear. First opened in 1966, the 87,500-capacity Azteca has been closed since last year due to redevelopment work. The Azteca will become the first stadium to host the opening match of the World Cup three times, having done so in 1970 and 1986.