Before the World Cup kicks off next summer, teams must know their opponents, the cities of their matches, and their route to the final.
How does this all get determined? Get ready for the World Cup final draw.
FOX Sports announced that it will provide 3.5 hours of live coverage of the World Cup draw for the first time on broadcast television in the U.S.
The event, which will determine the groups for all 48 teams including the U.S. men’s national team and fellow co-hosts Mexico and Canada, will commence with a live pre-show at 11:30 AM ET on Friday, Dec. 5, from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.
The draw is set to occur from 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM ET. After that, coverage on FOX will continue until 3:00 PM ET with immediate analysis, reactions, and interviews.
FOX Sports’ experienced sportscasters Rob Stone and Jenny Taft will lead the broadcast live, joined by former U.S. men’s team stars and prominent analysts Alexi Lalas and Stu Holden.
As part of its coverage, FOX Sports will create two dedicated digital shows surrounding the Dec. 5 draw. The first is a preview show on Monday, Dec. 1 at 8:00 AM ET, followed by a reaction show on Monday, Dec. 8, which will discuss all the key themes of next summer’s widely anticipated sporting event. Lalas and Holden will feature alongside other U.S. Soccer icons in both shows.
The 2026 World Cup will be a historic event as it marks the first time the tournament is hosted by three nations: the United States, Mexico, and Canada, with 48 teams playing 104 matches across 16 host cities. In the U.S., eleven cities will host the tournament: Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, Seattle, and the San Francisco Bay Area.
Next summer’s World Cup will be the sixth consecutive tournament covered by FOX Sports following its acclaimed coverage of the men’s tournaments in 2022 (Qatar) and 2018 (Russia), as well as the women’s tournaments in 2023 (Australia & New Zealand), 2019 (France), and its initial broadcast in 2015 (Canada).
The network has garnered numerous accolades during its decade-long World Cup coverage, with eight Sports Emmy Awards and various nominations.
The U.S. men’s national team will perform its group stage matches on Friday, June 12 (Los Angeles), Friday, June 19 (Seattle), and Thursday, June 25 (Los Angeles).
Want to receive fantastic stories right in your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account and follow leagues, teams, and players for daily personalized newsletters!
