Canada 2026 FIFA World Cup bid

Place Soccer Canada in Downtown Ottawa is the headquarters of the Canadian Soccer Association

The Canadian Soccer Association has announced a bid for Canada to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup.^[1][2] This bid is a part of the Canadian Soccer Association strategic plan 2014–2018.^[3]

History

Canada has hosted the men's Under-17 and Under-20 World Cups once each and the Under-20 Women's World Cup twice, and the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2015. If the campaign is successful, Canada will become the last of the G7 nations to host the World Cup. The organization of Canadian soccer is tied to the United States; the nation doesn't operate any of its component leagues. Victor Montagliani, Canadian Soccer Association president, claims "an event of that nature would galvanize the interest to unparalleled levels in this country".^[4] CONCACAF has called for the 2026 World Cup to be held in its region.^[5]

Ottawa mayor Jim Watson made public his support for the bid in March 2014, with the hope that Ottawa will be one of the candidate cities^[6] On 2 April 2014, Toronto city council passed a motion to explore the possibilities of becoming a 2026 World Cup host city.^[7] The mayor of Montreal, Denis Coderre, has also expressed his support for a potential bid, stating that the city "would be an amazing capital of the World Cup."^[8]

The bidding process was due to start in 2015, with the appointment of hosts previously scheduled for the FIFA Congress on 10 May 2017 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.^[9][10] On 10 June 2015, it was announced the bidding process has been postponed, amid corruption allegations around the previous tournaments, due to be held in 2018 (Russia), as well as 2022 (Qatar).^[11][12]

In response to the postponement, a CSA spokesperson said, "We’ve expressed interest in hosting 2026, but have always said we would wait to see the hosting and bid requirements outlined by FIFA before making a final decision...We initially expected these later this year, which following (Wednesday) morning’s announcement by FIFA looks to have changed and revolve around timelines that are now unknown."^[13]

Venues

Stadiums must be able to accommodate a 20,000 square feet (1,900 m²) hospitality village no more than 150 metres from the stadium. They must also have a capacity of at least 40,000 for group and second round matches and 60,000 for quarter finals and beyond,^[14] meaning the only existing stadium capable of hosting the World Cup Final would be Montreal's Olympic Stadium, which its current soccer configuration seats 66,308. Others may require expansion in order to meet the strict requirements for holding World Cup tournament games, as is usual for pre-existing stadia. CSA president Victor Montagliani claims there are venues in Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Hamilton, Toronto and Ottawa that can be expanded to meet World Cup standards.^[15]

While Canada does have several soccer-specific stadiums, such as Saputo Stadium in Montreal, most are unable to expand to meet FIFA capacity standards, meaning the majority of stadiums in any World Cup bid will be stadiums where the Canadian Football League is the primary tenant. An exception to this could be BMO Field in Toronto, which after its current renovation will be capable of temporarily expanding to seat 40,000 spectators.

References