AN EXPLOSION OF SOCCER EXCITEMENT
Edmonton should have ‘great hope’ of hosting Canada match in 2026 World Cup
Canada became the 19th country to become a World Cup host nation at sunrise in host city Edmonton on Wednesday.
The sun rose on an entirely new era in Canadian soccer with the 134-65 united bid of Canada-USA-Mexico win over now fivetime loser Morocco.
“Overwhelming,” said Canadian Soccer Association General Secretary Peter Montopoli, his voice breaking over his cellphone call from Moscow early Wednesday of Edmonton, Toronto and Montreal playing host to an expected three or four 2026 World Cup games each.
“When the vote was revealed and ‘Canada’ was the first word we heard, I was really rocked. I was really proud for our country and everybody who was a part of this journey.”
Montopoli volunteered Edmonton was the forerunner of the journey.
“It’s a watershed moment for the sport in our country, much like 2002 in Edmonton for women’s soccer. Let’s face it, that kick-started our development program. We don’t win Olympic medals in 2012 and 2016 and be the only nation to do that on both the men and women’s side.
“Hosting in Edmonton in the 2002 final against the United States had an enormous effect on what was to unfold and we think this has every semblance of repeating itself on the men’s side,” said Montopoli.
“I think internationally people recognized Edmonton and its right to be a host of the 2026 World Cup. International people recognize the birthplace of women’s youth soccer in 2002 and where we went from there and some of the great matches Canada has brought there historically.”
There should be an explosion of excitement to be part of the biggest sports event in the world. There will be far more involved to this than the three or four games in each of the Canadian host cities. It’ll be eight years of buildup and other games as Canada prepares to play in only the second World Cup in our men’s soccer history.
In the bid book, Canada was projected to host 10 games, the first World Cup to feature 48 teams and 80 matches. While all of this is to be determined well down the road, Montopoli suggested Edmonton should hold out hope of playing host to a Canadian group game here.
“Edmonton should have great hope, not some hope. Great hope,” he said.
Who knows, we may even see Canada score a goal this time and even see it in Edmonton.
My first of five World Cup assignments was Mexico 1986, Canada’s only previous appearance. Canada was based in Leon and Irapuato and didn’t score a goal against France, Hungary and the Soviet Union.
As was the case with the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup in which the opening game was held in Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium, there should be an expectation of a chance for that to happen in the planned same day openers in Mexico, Canada and the USA. Having the opening group game involving Canada would also be a tribute of how this happened in the first place.
Canada as a World Cup host started with the FIFA U-19 Women’s World Championship in Edmonton in 2002 and inspired FIFA president Sepp Blatter to declare it a “ballistic” success, that brought on the men’s and women’s U-20 World Cups and the Women’s World Cup with the most games (11) in Edmonton and the opening game here and the final in Vancouver.
And can you imagine how the next eight years will go down in Vancouver, where provincial politics eliminated BC Place as a host venue?
“I have no emotions about Vancouver. We’ve enjoyed our time building the matches that we’ve had there. But it’s time to move on and it was their decision. We accept their decision. We won the competition today and we look forward to the three Canadian cities and mayors who agreed to be a part of it,” said Montopoli.
You can’t overstate what this result will mean to the Canadian Premier League that will feature five-star ownership in most launch cities.
But it’s the inspiration of a World Cup that should result in Canada, whose members of the team should be the likes of Edmonton’s 17-year-old Alphonso Davies, who was the lead speaker at the United Bid presentation, and kids who are 13, 14, 15 and 16 years old right now, who should create a rise from Canada’s 79th spot in the current world rankings and create the same dramatic difference in Canada’s soccer culture as Christine Sinclair and the women did before them.
There’s so much more involved than those three or four games. Almost certainly there will be a lead-in match like Canada-Brazil that filled Commonwealth Stadium in 1994 en route to Brazil winning it all.
And if you’ve been to a World Cup, you’ll know that the real fun isn’t just the three or four games but the outdoor celebrations in the host cities featuring games on big screen TVs and live entertainment from around the world every day through the event. It’s more than the world biggest sports event. It’s the world’s greatest party. And in 2026 in Western Canada, Edmonton is going to be party central.