The popularity of soccer has been on the rise recently, especially with the recent achievements of Canada’s national soccer teams. The men’s team will play in Qatar for their first World Cup in 36 years, while the women’s team won the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics, and silver at the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football Championship.
However, a big announcement from the spring is further evidence of Canadian soccer’s growing popularity and its trajectory. On June 16, it was confirmed that a combined 10 World Cup games will be played in Toronto and Vancouver in 2026.
Despite fans having known that the United States, Mexico, and Canada would host the 2026 World Cup since 2018, this announcement confirmed that Toronto will host the World Cup games for the first time. While hosting such a big event is exciting, it will have both positive and negative consequences.
The most obvious changes that Torontonians can expect will be evident at the BMO Field, the venue that will host the games. The stadium will have to undergo massive renovations to meet FIFA standards; most notably, it will need to increase its maximum capacity from 27,980 to FIFA’s minimum requirement of 45,000.
The city will also have to organize a 34-day FIFA FanFest that fans can participate in throughout the tournament — even when games are not being played in Toronto. As a result, the local economy should experience a significant boom, which may help sustain the recovery of industries that were devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic. It is predicted that Toronto should generate $307 million in GDP and 3,300 new jobs through avenues such as room bookings and job creation.
However, the renovations and increased transit and pollution during the tournament may cause further environmental degradation. FIFA should look to ensure that ecological resources are utilized sustainably, much like they’ve done for the Qatar World cup this year. Another major consequence is that the tournament may help accelerate the growing popularity of the sport itself.
Canadian men’s national team star Jonathan Osorio said in an interview with the Canadian Premier League shortly after the announcement: “I think it’ll be something similar to the World Cup in 1994, and what that did for the sport in the United States… [I]t’ll grow the sport, it’ll unite the people.”
“Canada is full of people from all over the world; it’s full of… immigrants [from] countries that love football, so I think it’s gonna do a lot for the growth of the sport,” said Osorio.
Right now, Canada Soccer estimates that there are over one million registered soccer players in all of Canada, and that soccer is the fastest-growing sport in Canada.
In 2026, 10 nations will play games in Toronto. Having so many teams from around the world all play in Toronto should strengthen the sense of diversity and multiculturalism in Toronto, making the tournament a perfect avenue for more cultural exchange in Canada.
Unlike hockey, which still faces diversity challenges, soccer — along with basketball — is representative of how diverse Canada truly is. While hockey may be Canada’s most beloved sport, perhaps soccer presents a more ideal vision of modern-day Canada. Its growing popularity is a pathway to success for Canada’s increasingly diverse population.
While most fans are understandably excited about Canada’s participation in the upcoming World Cup, the excitement that this announcement started should remain alive even after the tournament ends.
