Breaking news, Canadian soccer fans! Canada is set to host the most popular sporting event, otherwise known as the FIFA World Cup, in 2026.
Toronto and Vancouver Selected as Host Cities
Woo hoo! It’s a great day for Canadian soccer fans as the 2026 World Cup is coming home. Specifically, Toronto and Vancouver are among 16 North American cities to host the men’s World Cup in 2026. The other American cities announced to host are: Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Houston, Kansas City, Philadelphia, Miami, and New York/New Jersey. In addition, Mexico will host matches in cities such as Mexico City, Monterrey, and Guadalajara.
Canada Soccer President, Dr. Nick Bontis, said in a statement that, “We are very proud of Canada’s candidate host cities for putting together substantial and compelling bids for the FIFA World Cup 2026. The competition for venue selection was the most robust in FIFA’s history. Today’s success is a testament to the cities, provinces, and federal government’s commitment and dedication in pursuit of hosting the most prestigious single sporting event in the world.”
Image Credit: Darryl Dyck / CP
Edmonton “Snubbed” From Hosting World Cup
While Toronto and Vancouver have successfully secured their spot as a host city for the 2026 World Cup, many Edmonton fans have been left disappointed that their city did not make the cut. Despite the fact that Edmonton had made a bid to host, they were not selected.
The Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi stated, “We did everything we could to get these matches to Edmonton, because we know we’re a great host city. We assured FIFA that if there were any doubts on the commitment from the city, or the conditions from the province, that we’d work with FIFA to create flexibility.”
The Culture Minister Ron Orr also expressed his disappointment: “It is unfortunate that soccer fans will not experience the beauty and vibrancy of Edmonton and our province as a whole.”
“Alberta’s government worked hard and committed a significant financial sum to help the bid along. Our province has hosted countless world-class sporting events. Commonwealth Stadium is the biggest facility in Western Canada and would play an excellent host,” he said.
Although we are also saddened by the decision to not include Edmonton as a host city, we cannot contain our excitement that Toronto and Vancouver will be hosting. The opportunity for tourism, economic boost, and the overall legacy left for Canada makes us incredibly overjoyed!
Published by HOLR Magazine.