World Cup 2026

[SignalHillHiker]

Given how much Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian, Portuguese, Spanish, etc. music I watch, my algorithm shows me absolutely everything that happens in a line from Lisbon from Istanbul.

The main thing I've realized watching all the videos of fans marching through the streets is that I can instantly tell St. Louis from Toronto because everything in St. Louis is just so far apart. There really is a striking difference in (the level of) urban planning that I never really noticed before.

Watched a fascinating video series about which World Cup teams have the most players born in the country they represent. And in their group of four, Canada was one of the highest. Lots of lovely stories of players who came as refugees, etc. Meanwhile, Bosnia had the least, but almost all of those being the children of parents who fled the country in the 1990s. Germany, Austria, United States, etc.

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

People not in a host city, do they have anything or a fan zone set up?

I was surprised to see small towns in BC like Ft St John are having fan zones.

it doesn't seem busy but they have something.




Paschal Djsaki, originally from Nigeria, says seeing a big World Cup event in town makes him happy: ‘It’s all hockey, hockey, hockey’ (Ed Hitchins, Energeticcity.ca)


https://energeticcity.ca/2026/06/11/having-a-ball-world-cup-fan-festival-arrives-in-fort-st-john/

I hope Canada continues to see a lot more people come here from countries where soccer (football) is by far and away the number one sport and a big part of their culture. Canada will eventually win a World Cup one day, and immigration will be largely to thank.

[svlt]

Originally Posted by logan5

I have to admit, I like seeing Toronto playing second fiddle to Vancouver in the biggest sporting event on the planet. At the bar yesterday, people kept commenting on the background of the TSN broadcast centre at Jack Poole Plaza. And it is spectacular, though TSN is overdoing it with the constant angle changes, like literally every 3 seconds. Fun times for the city.

In spite of our weak draw our games, I think, will end up being the more consequential or marquee matches. Canada may well end up playing both their knockout games in Vancouver if they get that far and it could be up against the likes of Ecuador and Portugal. Toronto's sole knockout match might just be Croatia vs. Colombia - not terrible but not quite the same level of fan interest.

Vancouver will definitely be getting the bulk of the attention for Canada, IMO.

[BlackDog204]

Originally Posted by EnvisionSaintJohn

I hope Canada continues to see a lot more people come here from countries where soccer (football) is by far and away the number one sport and a big part of their culture. Canada will eventually win a World Cup one day, and immigration will be largely to thank.

Absolutely no chance of that happening. At best, we make the Quarter Finals.

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

Originally Posted by BlackDog204

Absolutely no chance of that happening. At best, we make the Quarter Finals.

EVER? :|

It's the most popular participation sport in the country, and it's the most popular sport for the majority of the world's population. There's a direct correlation between increased international immigration to Canada and increased success for Canada men's national soccer team. Most of the best players on Team Canada were born outside of Canada.

If we continue to grow our population primarily through immigration, and especially if we see increased levels of immigration from soccer/football hotspots like North Africa, West Africa, and South America, I think it's not a question of if Canada will ever win a World Cup, but rather, when.

[Coldrsx]

Valid points.

EXCEPT we need a elite level development stream that I continue to hear is lacking.

[isaidso]

Originally Posted by EnvisionSaintJohn

I think it's not a question of if Canada will ever win a World Cup, but rather, when.

There will always be defeatist types who think what is true now, will be true forever. It's rubbish, of course. Canada will win eventually. Canadians have 2 legs and 2 arms just like Germans, Brazilians, and the French. Putting together a top team depends on the continued development of our sports system. We have that in hockey and almost there in basketball, swimming, and track. There is no reason to believe we can't do the same in other sports.

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

EXCEPT we need a elite level development stream that I continue to hear is lacking.

I wouldn't say we'll never win. But it'll probably be a long time.

I remember back in the 1970s there were a lot of children's leagues, and I seem to recall people saying that Canadian soccer would become dominant in the 1980s because of all that participation.

I can still envision a time when gridiron football dies out because concussion and other injury issues will make it impossible to play... we'll probably return to a more traditional form of rugby, but I think pro soccer will be one of the main viable products to replace the CFL. And it'll probably take that to improve the development stream.

[BlackDog204]

Originally Posted by EnvisionSaintJohn

EVER? :|

It's the most popular participation sport in the country, and it's the most popular sport for the majority of the world's population. There's a direct correlation between increased international immigration to Canada and increased success for Canada men's national soccer team. Most of the best players on Team Canada were born outside of Canada.

This is just not true. The percentage of Canadians who are immigrants has been rising slowly since WWII. From 14.7% in 1951 to 23% in the last census. However, Canada only became competitive enough to compete for a World Cup spot in the 80s, and for roughly 20 years (late 90s to late 2010s), it's soccer program was awful. If immigrants were mainly responsible for Canada doing well in soccer, Canada would have never had a 20 year period of decline.

If we continue to grow our population primarily through immigration, and especially if we see increased levels of immigration from soccer/football hotspots like North Africa, West Africa, and South America, I think it's not a question of if Canada will ever win a World Cup, but rather, when.

When Canada's immigrant population were mainly from Europe up until the beginning of this century. where soccer is huge. Additionally, the two largest immigrant groups in the past decade (Indians and Filipinos) produce literally no soccer players, as the sport is not popular in those countries.


IMHO, it has everything to do with soccer being affordable for nearly all Canadians to play, unlike hockey, football, golf, tennis, skiing, etc). Finally, when is the last time a non-traditional soccer powerhouse won a World Cup? If anything, the United States, with similar demographics as us, and 8.7x the population would have won at least 2 World Cup's if what you are saying is true. However, the USA has never even come remotely close to winning a cup. Ironically, the USA best result in the World Cup, was finishing 3rd in 1930 (the first World Cup). Their best result in the modern period, was a Quarter Final appearance in 2002.

[BlackDog204]

Originally Posted by isaidso

There will always be defeatist types who think what is true now, will be true forever. It's rubbish, of course. Canada will win eventually. Canadians have 2 legs and 2 arms just like Germans, Brazilians, and the French. Putting together a top team depends on the continued development of our sports system. We have that in hockey and almost there in basketball, swimming, and track. There is no reason to believe we can't do the same in other sports.

I don't think people have an idea how difficult it is to win a World Cup, especially when Canada is competing with fanatical soccer-loving countries like Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Spain, England, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, etc, where soccer is a religion.

Even places like Russia, China, Japan, Iran, and Nigeria, where the population is exponentially greater than here, soccer is far more popular, have never been serious contenters for the World CUp trophy.

[Bishop2047]

I never like to say "Never" but the above is true. Football (Soccer) will not be a sport that we can constantly compete for championships in. We may get a good batch from time to time that can push to quarter finals or semis constantly though.

I will preface this by stating that I never thought we would be competing with the world in basketball, but we have been consistently churning our good and great players for 2 decades now, and our young teams are beating the best https://www.fiba.basketball/en/events/fiba-u18-americup-2026/games/134645-USA-CAN.

[jonny24]

Originally Posted by isaidso

We have that in hockey and almost there in basketball, swimming, and track. There is no reason to believe we can't do the same in other sports.

There IS reason to believe that many other countries will continue to be better at it than us... because soccer is their #1 focus culturally.

[MolsonExport]

^agreed. It is highly unlikely that we will rise to the top in soccer, given the position and emphasis put on this sport in places like Europe and South America.

Soccer is to South Americans what hockey is to Canadians.

[SpongeG]

Qatar security has arrived in Vancouver

Watch this on Instagram, such a huge plane to fit all those vehicles inside.

https://www.instagram.com/reels/DZoBWR2K1Fl/

[logan5]

Countries with strong leagues tend to have top ranked world cup teams. MLS could easily become a top 5 league in the world, and when that happens, Canadian kids will be attracted to soccer even more, so that instead 1 Alphonso Davies, and 1 Jonathon David, Canada could have a whole squad of elite players.

Ten years from now, Canada will be in the top 20 FIFA rankings, and in 20 years, maybe top 10, and a shot at it.

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

Originally Posted by logan5

Countries with strong leagues tend to have top ranked world cup teams. MLS could easily become a top 5 league in the world, and when that happens, Canadian kids will be attracted to soccer even more, so that instead 1 Alphonso Davies, and 1 Jonathon David, Canada could have a whole squad of elite players.

Ten years from now, Canada will be in the top 20 FIFA rankings, and in 20 years, maybe top 10, and a shot at it.

Yet, all the leagues that are better than the MLS are all national leagues, not supranational leagues like the MLS and other North American sports leagues.

Look at the EPL, tonnes of smaller cities have teams in the top two flights of English football… while Canada barely even has 8 teams across our “Canadian Premier League” while Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal have teams in the MLS. Doubling down on the MLS, at best, gets Canada a few more clubs in the MLS in Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, and maybe Quebec or Winnipeg.

Think bigger… A CANEXIT from the MLS could get us a domestic league that eventually had 40 teams across the top two flights with a system of promotion and relegation… no more of this MLS nonsense. A proper football ⚽️ league should have a system of relegation and promotion.

The whole point is if we ever want to get good at soccer, we need to abandon the American sports mindset and embrace the global mindset when it comes to the world’s game. . .

Staying in the MLS gets Canada nowhere… but turning the CPL system into something great? That could actually give Canada a fighting chance to win a World Cup one day.

The best thing that could ever happen to Canadian soccer would be for the White Caps FC , TFC, and FC Montreal to sell their MLS franchises, but retain their team identities and join the CPL.

[logan5]

The youth academies that MLS teams in Canada bring are vastly superior to anything a CPL team could bring. These youth academies are crucial for cultivating top flight players, and bring a realistic path for young players. That path to the pros is what keeps young players in the sport. That along with having role models in one of the top leagues in the world. The CPL does not inspire young people to continue in the sport.

The reason Canada made the World Cup in 1986 was because of the NASL.

[VANRIDERFAN]

I’m disgusted that Canadians always think that our domestic endeavours are terrible. Good Lord were a sad pathetic country when we automatically discount our own and look towards a foreign country. Have some goddamn pride in Canada for once.

[Metro-One]

Originally Posted by VANRIDERFAN

I’m disgusted that Canadians always think that our domestic endeavours are terrible. Good Lord were a sad pathetic country when we automatically discount our own and look towards a foreign country. Have some goddamn pride in Canada for once.

I second this. My family (born and raised in Canada) have been soccer crazy forever, my sister was on the woman’s national team at one point. It’s pathetic that so many on here dismiss our own country men and women so quickly.

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

Originally Posted by logan5

The youth academies that MLS teams in Canada bring are vastly superior to anything a CPL team could bring. These youth academies are crucial for cultivating top flight players, and bring a realistic path for young players. That path to the pros is what keeps young players in the sport. That along with having role models in one of the top leagues in the world. The CPL does not inspire young people to continue in the sport.

The reason Canada made the World Cup in 1986 was because of the NASL.

Could bring? I disagree… the academy system could be much better, but Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal’s clubs will have to see the forest through the trees and leave the MLS for that to happen.

Look at the entire footballing world and you won’t find another league like the MLS… the MLS is the outlier. The sooner Canada leaves the MLS, the better!