2026 FIFA World Cup coming to Canada

JHikka · #1 Posted **Jun 13, 2018, 11:45 AM**

Canada will be co-hosting the 2026 World Cup with the United States and Mexico.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/44464913

BBC

"Of the 16 host cities, 10 will be in the United States while the remainder will be split evenly between Canada and Mexico.

Sixty matches will take place in the US, while Canada and Mexico will host 10 games each.

The final will be held at the 84,953-capacity MetLife Stadium, which is home to NFL sides the New York Giants and the New York Jets."

Acajack · #2 Posted **Jun 13, 2018, 1:08 PM**

On Radio-Canada this morning there was an expert who was saying that when all is said and done there could be only two Canadian cities hosting games. Some stuff is still up the air apparently.

The 60-10-10 breakdown between the three countries could also change, he said.

esquire · #3 Posted **Jun 13, 2018, 1:28 PM**

Looking at that map and the game breakdown, it's clear that this is effectively a USA World Cup, featuring "special guests" Canada and Mexico. The cynic in me wonders if Canada and Mexico weren't invited to tag along just to help defray the costs of hosting. Why else would they be there? It's not like the USA really needs help in hosting the event.

Then again, perhaps that's our sports culture in a nutshell, settling for whatever crumbs we can get from the USA.

TorontoDrew · #4 Posted **Jun 13, 2018, 1:35 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

On Radio-Canada this morning there was an expert who was saying that when all is said and done there could be only two Canadian cities hosting games. Some stuff is still up the air apparently.

The 60-10-10 breakdown between the three countries could also change, he said.

I also wonder how many of those American cities actually care about (true) football. Congrats to Edmonton for making the list, I'm surprised however Vancouver wasn't included. Proximity to Seattle shouldn't have played a factor when you look at the Eastern Seaboard.

esquire · #5 Posted **Jun 13, 2018, 1:37 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by TorontoDrew

I also wonder how many of those American cities actually care about (true) football. Congrats to Edmonton for making the list, I'm surprised however Vancouver wasn't included. Proximity to Seattle shouldn't have played a factor when you look at the Eastern Seaboard.

Geography was not the issue. Vancouver backed out because of concerns over the open-ended nature of their liabilities associated with acting as a World Cup host. Same reason why Chicago and Minneapolis backed out in the US, and more broadly, it's the reason why more and more places are refusing to sign blank cheques for the IOC and FIFA.

Acajack · #6 Posted **Jun 13, 2018, 1:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

Geography was not the issue. Vancouver backed out because of concerns over the open-ended nature of their liabilities associated with acting as a World Cup host. Same reason why Chicago and Minneapolis backed out in the US, and more broadly, it's the reason why more and more places are refusing to sign blank cheques for the IOC and FIFA.

And unless I am mistaken, not everyone who needs to be on board for this to happen in Edmonton/Alberta is fully on board just yet.

Hence the talk about perhaps two Canadian cities as opposed to three.

At least that is my assumption.

isaidso · #7 Posted **Jun 13, 2018, 2:27 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

On Radio-Canada this morning there was an expert who was saying that when all is said and done there could be only two Canadian cities hosting games. Some stuff is still up the air apparently.

The 60-10-10 breakdown between the three countries could also change, he said.

Lets get real here. This is a US World Cup with crumbs thrown at Mexico and Canada. Having the final in Mexico or Canada probably wasn't even on the radar. I'll wait for an actual Canadian World Cup before I bother tuning in.

Acajack · #8 Posted **Jun 13, 2018, 2:31 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by isaidso

Lets get real here. This is a US World Cup with crumbs thrown at Mexico and Canada. I'll wait for an actual Canadian World Cup before I bother tuning in.

Totally agree but it's the best Canada can hope for for a pretty long time IMO.

Berklon · #9 Posted **Jun 13, 2018, 2:32 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by isaidso

Lets get real here. This is a US World Cup with crumbs thrown at Mexico and Canada. I'll wait for an actual Canadian World Cup before I bother tuning in.

So you're only interested in the World Cup if Canada is the sole host country?
The game is the same regardless of who hosts it.

suburbanite · #10 Posted **Jun 13, 2018, 2:32 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by isaidso

Lets get real here. This is a US World Cup with crumbs thrown at Mexico and Canada. I'll wait for an actual Canadian World Cup before I bother tuning in.

You want to wait indefinitely for a ludicrous amount of public money to be spent on a tournament Canada has no business being a part of?

isaidso · #11 Posted **Jun 13, 2018, 2:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Berklon

So you're only interested in the World Cup if Canada is the sole host country?
The game is the same regardless of who hosts it.

I don't follow soccer. I might watch if we hosted it like I did with the Women's WC a few years back. Getting a few games tossed our way is more an insult than anything. Can you imagine if England, South Korea, or Spain were treated this way? If you propose a joint WC you make it a proper joint bid like Japan and South Korea had.

This is akin to bobbing up to grab swag being thrown into the crowd at a sporting game. I couldn't think of anything more demeaning. It's a GIANT NO THANK YOU from me.

xzmattzx · #12 Posted **Jun 13, 2018, 2:40 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

Looking at that map and the game breakdown, it's clear that this is effectively a USA World Cup, featuring "special guests" Canada and Mexico. The cynic in me wonders if Canada and Mexico weren't invited to tag along just to help defray the costs of hosting. Why else would they be there? It's not like the USA really needs help in hosting the event.

Then again, perhaps that's our sports culture in a nutshell, settling for whatever crumbs we can get from the USA.

Canada and Mexico could get big benefits from this bid if all three host nations get automatic entries (this isn't finalized yet). There would be automatic entry without the bigger investment that the United States would be making.

I had actually heard it the other way around, that Canada or Mexico (I can't remember which) approached the US about a joint bid. 10 years ago, it was a given that that the US was going to bid alone down the road, and win, until the surprise with Qatar. If the US won in 2026 with a solo bid, neither Canada nor Mexico possibly wouldn't be looked at as a host until the 2040s.

isaidso · #13 Posted **Jun 13, 2018, 2:48 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

Totally agree but it's the best Canada can hope for for a pretty long time IMO.

Quote:

Originally Posted by suburbanite

You want to wait indefinitely for a ludicrous amount of public money to be spent on a tournament Canada has no business being a part of?

Sure, but I'd rather wait for the real thing than accept the insult. I view my country as an equal not a subordinate. When you allow people to treat you in a disrespectful way, you're complicit.

JHikka · #14 Posted **Jun 13, 2018, 2:53 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

Looking at that map and the game breakdown, it's clear that this is effectively a USA World Cup, featuring "special guests" Canada and Mexico.

The map still has to cut out 6 more US cities, but I agree it's a US World Cup with Canada and Mexico tagged on.

Quote:

Originally Posted by xzmattzx

I had actually heard it the other way around, that Canada or Mexico (I can't remember which) approached the US about a joint bid.

I've heard it was Canada's idea, who looped in Mexico, before going to the US with the offer.

Quote:

Originally Posted by isaidso

Sure, but I'd rather wait for the real thing than accept the insult. I view my country as an equal not a subordinate. When you allow people to treat you in a disrespectful way, you're complicit.

Canada hosting the World Cup on its own will likely never happen. You'll be waiting for a while.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TorontoDrew

I also wonder how many of those American cities actually care about (true) football.

How would you even measure this? If Americans don't buy tickets (which they will) it'll be a massive tourist draw. The 1994 World Cup in the US still holds the all-time attendance record. If people feel uncomfortable travelling to the US or Mexico then Canada's there to welcome them to World Cup games.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TorontoDrew

I'm surprised however Vancouver wasn't included. Proximity to Seattle shouldn't have played a factor when you look at the Eastern Seaboard.

Vancouver withdrew themselves when the BC Government refused to play along with FIFA's stadium demands. It had nothing to do with proximity to Seattle.

Acajack · #15 Posted **Jun 13, 2018, 2:54 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by isaidso

Sure, but I'd rather wait for the real thing than accept the insult. I view my country as an equal not a subordinate. When you allow people to treat you in a disrespectful way, you're complicit.

The real thing is probably not going to happen.

In any event even if Canada were to host the entire tournament by itself, we'd still be a placeholder going-through-the-motions host like South Africa, South Korea and Japan.

As opposed to a "contender host".

Acajack · #16 Posted **Jun 13, 2018, 2:55 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by xzmattzx

Canada and Mexico could get big benefits from this bid if all three host nations get automatic entries (this isn't finalized yet). There would be automatic entry without the bigger investment that the United States would be making.

.

Isn't it almost a given that the Canadian and Mexican teams will be there, what with the expanded format to 48 countries?

GernB · #17 Posted **Jun 13, 2018, 2:57 PM**

While I'm not a soccer fan by any stretch of the imagination, I can see a few good things happening as a result of this, over and above the probable increase in soccer interest in Canada; i.e., stadium improvements in the three host cities. Major renos at Olympic Stadium and BMO Field for starters; perhaps we'll finally see a new retractable roof on the Big O, and I'm sure I've read that upgrades are planned for BMO as well, including a capacity increase to 45,500. There would also likely be some upgrades at Commonwealth as well. Besides boosting soccer, this could also help the CFL as well.

suburbanite · #18 Posted **Jun 13, 2018, 3:01 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by isaidso

Sure, but I'd rather wait for the real thing than accept the insult. I view my country as an equal not a subordinate. When you allow people to treat you in a disrespectful way, you're complicit.

You can view it however you like. Canada is not an equal in international soccer, and that's not a problem that erodes our sense of worth as a nation. I wouldn't expect Australia to try and host the world cup of hockey so that are not viewed as subordinate to the great Scandinavian superpowers.

What this does do is provide a chance for Canada to dip it's toes into international waters for a fraction of the cost. Create an opportunity to grow the game domestically and potentially lead it on a path where it would one day make more sense to go for a full bid.

Or we could spend billions of dollars right now so we don't feel inadequate.

thenoflyzone · #19 Posted **Jun 13, 2018, 3:27 PM**

It's official ! Canada will co-host the World Cup in 2026.

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/worl...-cup-1.4703826

7 cities will get cut from the list of 23 host cities, which include Toronto, Montreal and Edmonton.

Hopefully all three Canadian cities will make the final cut, but I have my doubts. One will probably get cut, question is, will it be Edmonton or Montreal? Montreal is Canada's second largest city but has the "weakest" stadium. Edmonton has the west coast covered. It's not going to be an easy decision, I think.

esquire · #20 Posted **Jun 13, 2018, 3:27 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by suburbanite

You want to wait indefinitely for a ludicrous amount of public money to be spent on a tournament Canada has no business being a part of?

I think Canada is very capable of hosting the World Cup without spending ludicrous amounts of public dollars.

As the number of countries vying for WC rights dwindles, it's going to become a buyer's market pretty soon. The days of blank cheques for FIFA are ending. In a decade when there's no one left to take on the World Cup, Canada would be in a position to step forward as a host with a full set of facilities, sound logistics in place and money to spend on tickets.

There's no magic to it, just because Canada is not a world soccer power has no bearing on our ability to manage the logistics of this event. If Qatar can do it, Canada certainly can.

But those events can certainly still come to pass... I suppose that being a tagalong to the US bid won't necessarily ruin our chances at being a solo host a decade or two down the road from 2026.