Clear sailing for Canada to co-host World Cup
TORONTO — Prospective World Cup bidders beware, the Canadian Soccer Association isn’t concerned another nation — or nations — will put together a bid that’s better than theirs.
For now, Canada’s co-bid with the United States (USSF) and Mexico (MFF) stands as the lone bid a year out from when FIFA will select where the 2026 World Cup will be held.
“I haven’t heard (of any other bids),” Peter Montopoli, the CSA’s General Secretary, told the Toronto Sun. “I don’t know if it’s going to make a difference.
“We’re going to put together a world class bid with the United States and Mexico. It’s not really going to make a difference to us (if there are any other bids).”
Prospective countries don’t have long to express interest. Steve Reed, the CSA’s newly-elected president, confirmed Sunday that interested hosts have until mid-August to challenge Canada’s bid.
Regardless, the CSA, USSF and MFF are required to submit their co-bid — potentially bidding against FIFA’s required standards — next March. The 2026 tournament will be awarded next June.
“We have a lot of work to do — fast-paced work — between now and next March to make sure all the boxes are ticked in the right fashion for all three countries,” Montopoli added.
As revealed in April, an agreement among the three CONCACAF nations would see the U.S. host 75 per cent of the 80-game, 48-team tournament, with both Canada and Mexico hosting just 10 fixtures each.
“We’d like to see that we could (host World Cup games) in four cities,” Montopoli said, adding that multiple Canadian mayors expressed interest in hosting games. FIFA requires men’s tournaments to be played on natural grass in stadiums with at least 40,000 seats.
The bid also includes automatic qualification for Canada’s men’s team — which hasn’t appeared at a World Cup since 1986.
“The only people that might be upset would be the other federations within CONCACAF,” Reed said of Canada’s automatic entry.
“Due to the expansion (of the tournament), I think everybody will be pretty pleased.”
FIFA revealed in January plans to expand the 2026 tournament from 32 to 48 teams.
In March, it confirmed CONCACAF — Canada’s qualifying region — will receive double the number of World Cup spots (6).
“There’s a limited number of countries that can (host a World Cup),” Reed said, a shot at World Cups held in South Africa and Brazil.
“We won’t have stadiums falling down or grass growing over top of them.”