New Canadian Soccer Association president Victor Montagliani knows how to make a splash. Less than four months into his reign at the top of the game he made a pronouncement few could have predicted.
Canada, a country that has failed to qualify to the men’s World Cup finals since The Golden Girls were the hottest thing on TV and Lionel Richie ruled the airwaves, is going to bid to host the 2026 World Cup.
Well, that’s one way to qualify.
Reaction to the announcement was predictable. Canadians can be a cynical bunch at the best of times and the suggestion that our Northern soccer wasteland could possibly do what the likes of Brazil, Germany and Italy have done was met with dismissal and indignation.
How dare we attempt to be a player on the world stage? We should know our place, and our place is between Uzbekistan and Central African Republic in the FIFA rankings.
The “Canada sucks” narrative fails to address a few key points. Most notable among them is that hosting a World Cup requires a different set of strengths than winning on the pitch. Yes, the world powers have hosted, but so has Japan and Korea, South Africa and, by the time 2026 rolls around, Qatar and Russia.
Canada fits in just fine with that latter group. In fact, a strong argument can be made that Canada is better placed to host the world’s most popular sporting tournament than even the venerable football nation Brazil. As Canadians, we are sometimes blind to the fact that we are one of the wealthiest, safest and most stable democracies in the world. We have survived the current global economic meltdown better than almost any other country on earth.
It’s why FIFA keeps selecting Canada to host tournaments, including its second largest event (2007 FIFA u20s) and second most important (2015 Women’s World Cup).
Starting with the 1987 U17 World Cup, Canada has a long history of hosting events. In fact, if the 2026 bid were to be successful, Canada would be a Women’s U17 tournament away from having hosted every FIFA event in both genders. Throw in the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, and Canada is poised to become the first country in the world to have hosted every 11 v 11 event at least once.
So, we’ve paid our dues with the so-called minor events, and we’ve done so in style. Canada gets behind these events in ways that few countries do. It would be naive to think that an ability to sell women’s u19 tickets will have much influence on FIFA’s decision to award the 2026 World Cup, but there is little doubt that Canada has earned a chance.
There is also little doubt that Canada could pull it off. No, we don’t have the proper facilities right now to host the World Cup. But then again, Brazil doesn’t have the proper facilities to host the World Cup right now and it is hosting it in two years. We have the money to change that. If we were to win the right to host the event we’d get it done.
There would be an internal debate about the need to spend billions on upgrading/building 10 or so stadiums, but that would be a political conversation, not a sporting conversation. If we decide as a nation that this is important, it would happen. It’s foolish to think otherwise.
If you conclude that Canada can host the World Cup that leaves just two questions: Should they want to and can they win a bid?
The former is a no-brainer. Although some will scream that the CSA should walk before it runs, hosting a World Cup would be a hell of a boost for the sport. It would provide for desperately needed infrastructure, would probably be an impetus for a Canadian league and would galvanize corporate Canada into supporting the national team.
Nothing but good would come from winning the right to host a World Cup.
But, can Canada win its bid?
Qatar did. And it’s been a long time since CONCACAF hosted. Also, there are only three countries in CONCACAF that possibly could host it and two already have.
An argument can be made that not only could Canada win the bid, they might actually be the favourite to do so.
It’s a long time until the bid gets serious – and UEFA will likely argue that it should host 2026 – but let’s not be cynical for once. We should aim high and, for once the CSA is doing just that.
There’s lots of change/growth/unknowns going on in the Canadian game so it’s hard to look that far out with any certainty as to whether this is a good or bad idea. It’s entirely possible that Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal will still be in the MLS at that point, and even need big stadiums for their teams. Beyond that you have to wonder what these new stadiums would be used for. Will we have a domestic league? Will it be 1st tier (and the MLS teams no longer competing in the US) or will it be 2nd tier? Will this 2nd tier league be able to support big stadiums? It’s tough to say what the landscape will look like then, but I wish all the best!
I think it is a great idea and an idea that makes a lot of sense.
We are one of the most diverse country in the world, and just looking at the attention paid to Euros, you know there are plenty of support locally.
Plus it would be huge for he CSA. Look at what the world cup did for the US? I don’t see why it would make sense for Toronto bid for the Olympic games but not for the country to bid for the World Cup. I know it was the Euros but we got to be able to do a better job than Poland and Ukraine right?
shave that beard rollins, your scaring the children.
Would it not make more sense to co-host a World Cup with our neighbours to the south? I can’t imagine it wouldn’t be more palatable to the FIFA brass.
The big problem as I would see it would be not that you’d have to build or massively upgrade bunch of stadiums, but rather that FIFA is looking for legacy, and it would be hard to argue why cities like Calgary, Winnipeg, Quebec City, Ottawa, would need permanent stadiums of the requisite capacity. The push lately has been to build smaller stadiums that you can fill up with MLS or CFL fans because it creates a better atmosphere than half-full big stadiums like BC Place or Rogers Centre.
I could definitely see Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal (and possibly Edmonton, simply because of the over-sized stadium that’s already there) being the Canadian host cities in a co-bid with the states.
Why would the US want to co-host it when they are more than capable of holding it by themselves? They wouldn’t even have to build anything, they have hundreds of stadiums that fit the size requirements already.
I think the argument would be that it could enhance the US’s chances of getting the tournament awarded to them again sooner rather than later. Having Canada along would allow them to say that they’re opening up a new market.
I just think we would be far more likely to see WC games on Canadian soil if we managed to do a joint bid.
I think it would be a huge lift for the country both in creating jobs in the construction of the 10 new/renovated stadiums plus helping in helping to grow the beautiful game here in Canada. And look what the 94 WC did for the US and the game domestically/internationally? MLS came out of it and the USMNT is competitive on the world stage plus usually tops within CONCACAF. If Qatar can get the 2022 WC, why can’t Canada in 2026? I vote HELL YES for the 2026 WC in Canada!!!
LETS DO IT!!!!!
I’d love this to happen, would enhance soccer in Canada big time!!
The reasoning that if Qatar won the rights then Canada would too is flawed because Canada would never try to buy the World Cup, rather we would sell Canada as the best host
It’s not that far fetched for Canada to host…Toronto, Montreal, Edmonton and Vancouver all have stadiums that need very little work to host the event. FIFA does require the stadium that hosts the opening game and final be of at least 80,000 (Olympic Stadium).
Calgary has a stadium that seats over 40k and Winnipeg also seats over 40k. Regina is getting a new football stadium and it should be able to seat 40k…Hamilton will have a new stadium as well…
The main issue is FIFA requires the host country to submit 16-18 stadiums for the bid…I’ve only listed 8…if you count Molson Stadium and BMO Field that just gives Canada 10 stadiums total…
Maybe a joint bid with the US works better….
Of course Canada should and can bid and with 8/9 and maybe 10 CFL countries across the country, would have the venues to do so. The idea of stadiums with a temporary upper tier which can be removed is ideal as a normal 25-30,000 seater will have the ability to host the Grey Cup by adding extra seats on an adhoc basis.
FIFA World Cup minimum requirements are 10 host cities, 10 stadiums of 40000 seats and the final to be held in a stadium holding 75-80,000 seats. The last 5 World Cups will have had an average seating capacity of about 51,000 seats. That in real terms is 1 stadium of 80,000 seats, 3 stadiums of 60,000 seats and 6 stadiums of 40,000 seats. So consider the list below
Vancouver BC Place (60K)
Edmondon (60K)
Montreal (66K)
Winnipeg (33-40K)
Regina (33-45K)
Calgary (36k – 45K)
Ottawa (25K-40K)
Toronto (50K)
add a second large Toronto Stadium (2024 and downscalable for the Argonauts) and you’ve got 80,000 seats and a new Halifax stadium.
You’ve got 10 venues with guaranteed post Cup tenants and the possibility of establishing a Canadian Soccer League in much the same way as the MLS was formed.