Soccer in Canada | Canada Hosting the 2026 World Cup

[HomeInMyShoes]

Originally Posted by JHikka

How is Canada expected to play a home match in a nation that isn't Canada?

This may be the best thead-alluding post in a while.

[AuxTown]

Originally Posted by Airboy

every time i look at the weather forecast it Changes. An hour ago it said +6 to 0. now its +2 to 0. Must be because i Planned on going for a bike ride Friday.

I noticed the same thing. Hey, if you offered either of those forecasts 6 weeks ago I think we all would have taken it. I'll be watching the game from my warm theatre chair at home but I bet the stadium will be hopping and temperature will be the last thing on all the (appropriately dressed) fans' minds.

[WhipperSnapper]

BMO field in Toronto is not appropriate for a national soccer match in November either. nothing to do with ticket sales.

[AuxTown]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

BMO field in Toronto is not appropriate for a national soccer match in November either. nothing to do with ticket sales.

I agree with this statement. But as a country trying VERY hard to be a soccer country lately how can we square this? Should all Nov-March games be at BC Place or Skydome?

[elly63]

• Video Link

[Proof Sheet]

These commentators sound very amateurish and homerish on Sportsnet. No 'world feed' commentators available here from what I can tell.

https://icdb.tv/match/67423

Lots of european WC qualifiers on over the next few days via UEFA.TV app and website free once you create an account via an email address.

[thurmas]

Just saw the ticket pricing model for the game in Edmonton and its perfect 60, 40, 30 and 20. Cfl teams should keep it simple and use that price model and range too.

[Coldrsx]

Nice to see so many fans out and about Downtown.

Good game and nice turnout at 48k.

[Tg11]

Canada we get the job done by beating Costa Rica who are a major threat in CONCACAF on a good day and in World Cup qualifiers, results like this matter. Canada we are near top of the table in qualifiers. We are 3rd right now and we face Mexico on Tuesday.

For the Mexico game, preferably of course I want our boys to win but I'll settle for a draw. Especially playing Mexico at home here in Canada won't be easy which is why I said I'm okay with a win or a draw.

But it is definitely too early to say that we will be in Qatar but I do love our chances.

[Coldrsx]

[AuxTown]

The boys played great last night, dominated the game. I think they deserved a better scoreline (2 or 3 to 0 probably) but a win is a win. If we take 4 or 6 points out of this window I will be ecstatic and will never comment about Commonwealth again but I do worry about temperature and field conditions affecting our skilled players and maybe predisposing to injury. Let's hope for a huge upset on Tuesday and an absolute civil war in Mexico if we manage to pull out a win!

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by AuxTown

If we take 4 or 6 points out of this window I will be ecstatic and will never comment about Commonwealth again but I do worry about temperature and field conditions affecting our skilled players and maybe predisposing to injury.

The pitch last night was not good. Very happy we were able to get out of that with three points. Four in this window is ideal, especially given the US beating MX last night.

[elly63]

I find it funny how many people who didn't want the games in Edmonton have complained about the field. Yes, it didn't look the greatest but I haven't heard one word from the players on how it played. I watched American videos and not one word about how it looked or played. The only thing I saw or heard was a quick comment from James Sharman about how the games shouldn't have been played there and the CR coach who of course is going to bitch about being in cold Edmonton in general. People seem to forget we will be playing in Vancouver next, it may look better (less paint) but it's still basically the same stuff as there was no mention of footing and there didn't seem to be a problem.

[Franco401]

Canada's lowlight from Friday isn't the pitch in Edmonton, it's Honduras not doing their job against Panama.

[elly63]

One good thing is there is a fair amount of separation between us and the fifth place team. So if worse comes to worse we would be at least in the fourth position and still have a shot at qualification. Hopefully it doesn't come to that, also with us having remaining games against the bottom placed teams, if they feel they are out of it, they may play inexperienced or experimental sides against us.

Last I heard it may not look good for Mexico, as weather conditions for their training time might not be good.

[Hawrylyshyn]

Originally Posted by Franco401

Canada's lowlight from Friday isn't the pitch in Edmonton, it's Honduras not doing their job against Panama.

The real lowlight was the number of pitch invaders in the last few minutes :/ was disappointing to see. None the less great win, easily the best team Canada has had in history

[elly63]

Originally Posted by Hawrylyshyn

The real lowlight was the number of pitch invaders in the last few minutes :/ was disappointing to see. None the less great win, easily the best team Canada has had in history

I've been following them for nearly 50 years. Easy on the best team stuff, they haven't won a Gold Cup and they haven't qualified for a WC. They are talented but they haven't won anything...yet.

Yes the pitch invasion stuff was stupid. Not only did could it have screwed us up in killing the game off, but the corrupt FIFA will now fine us, which we are probably stupid enough to pay, when probably no one else does.

The guy Herdman was holding looked like he had some issues.

[Hawrylyshyn]

May not have the results yet, but on paper I'd consider them the most talented squad Canada has been on the pitch. And our only WC is when it was hosted in Mexico so they weren't even part of qualifying. Either way it's a young team and I'm optimistic for their future.

Ya I noticed that too. After him the floodgates seemed to open. You know it's bad when the players themselves are asking the fans to stop.

Anyways, onwards to the next one.

[isaidso]

Good to see soccer blossoming in Canada. And well done.

[trueviking]

Originally Posted by elly63

I find it funny how many people who didn't want the games in Edmonton have complained about the field. Yes, it didn't look the greatest but I haven't heard one word from the players on how it played. I watched American videos and not one word about how it looked or played. The only thing I saw or heard was a quick comment from James Sharman about how the games shouldn't have been played there and the CR coach who of course is going to bitch about being in cold Edmonton in general. People seem to forget we will be playing in Vancouver next, it may look better (less paint) but it's still basically the same stuff as there was no mention of footing and there didn't seem to be a problem.

It wasn’t about how it looked on tv. It was how it played. The pitch was a significant disadvantage to the more skilled Canadian team. They struggled to control the ball and it led to few real offensive chances. It was the worst pitch in the Hex, except for Jamaica. It’s unbelievable to me that clubs like Bayern, Besiktas, Lille, and Bruges, would allow their star players to play on a frozen plastic pitch. It’s a disaster waiting to happen. Until Edmonton puts a proper grass pitch back in that stadium it should never host meaningful games. Just having lots of seats is not good enough. It’s not a soccer appropriate stadium anymore. Especially in cold weather.

Until there is another appropriate option all games should be at BMO.

That being said. I made the trip to Edmonton with the Voyageurs and had a blast. Was an amazing experience. Incredible atmosphere.