Soccer in Canada | Canada Hosting the 2026 World Cup

[samne]

Originally Posted by elly63

That's most of the group

Haha…true. Was referring to the other possibles for the final spot(N.Ireland, Bosnia etc).

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

Unbelievable Nigeria and Cameroon both didn’t qualify for the World Cup under a 48 team format. The North African Arab countries should be in the same confederation as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, etc, but that would make it harder for those countries to qualify.

I’m not sure about Canada’s chances getting through Switzerland and possibly Italy. I guess we could luck out and Wales or the North of Ireland get that last spot instead.

[VANRIDERFAN]

Originally Posted by EnvisionSaintJohn

And think how successful those big three clubs could be in the CPL if they sold their MLS Franchises, but kept the team identities.

For professional soccer to ever become a true success in Canada, I really think we need to emulate the European and South American Leagues, which are all national league with systems of promotion and relegation.

The three biggest soccer teams in Canada are in an American League… and that isn’t a good thing for Canadian Soccer.

Totally agree. We’ve sold our soul to the USA in all aspects of our Anglo culture. Cut ties with the Yanks ASAP.

That Trump ass kissing show today displayed everything wrong in the USA today.

[C3YVR]

So I believe I've got a good guess at the Vancouver schedule:
Game 1 Australia vs UEFA C playoff winner
Game 2 Canada vs Qatar
Game 3 Group G match (Belgium/Egypt/Iran/New Zealand)
Game 4 Canada vs Switzerland
Game 5 Group G match
Game 6 if we are lucky Canada, but more likely Italy vs ?
Game 7 if luck still holds Canada, but much more likely Italy vs Portugal

Let's see how close I get.

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

So Canada vs Italy will be in Toronto if Italy makes it then… hmm.

That would be the biggest match of the group stage for Canada. There’s a lot of “Italian” Canadians that have long cheered for Italy in the World Cup, and many of them live in Montreal and Toronto. I wonder how many of them would show up to this game in Italy kits?

Do we have an idea of what the tickets will go for on the resale market? Has there been any efforts to stop resellers?

As much as it’s neat Canada is technically hosting the World Cup, it’s pretty disappointing that not even a quarterfinals match will be played in Canada.

If Canada ever got a chance to cohost again, it would be a lot better to cohost it with Mexico. Or possibly even better, maybe a joint bid between Canada-Australia-Ireland-New Zealand could be possible one day, and be done in a much less bullshit way than the 2030 World Cup will be. Canada might be the default location for the finals in that situation.


Even if Canada and the US become best friends again one day, co-hosting again with the United States just doesn’t sound appealing.



Also:


Here’s the full video of the draw, starting with Carney and Trump.

• Video Link

[svlt]

Originally Posted by C3YVR

So I believe I've got a good guess at the Vancouver schedule:
Game 1 Australia vs UEFA C playoff winner
Game 2 Canada vs Qatar
Game 3 Group G match (Belgium/Egypt/Iran/New Zealand)
Game 4 Canada vs Switzerland
Game 5 Group G match
Game 6 if we are lucky Canada, but more likely Italy vs ?
Game 7 if luck still holds Canada, but much more likely Italy vs Portugal

Let's see how close I get.

Game 7 if luck holds it should be Italy vs Portugal really. I mean, that's the game people really want to see. It will still require Italy to qualify, finish first in their group and THEN beat out some third place team (which might end up being the easiest of the three tasks tbh, some third place teams here look like they are absolute rubbish and far easier than the likes of Wales, Bosnia, Switzerland or even Canada).

Portgual has to top their group vs. Colombia and win against another third placer which has a high chance of being rubbish as well.

As for resale, well, I was looking online for this matchup and it seems the resellers have caught on it's quite reasonable odds of being a marquee Italy-Portugal matchup as it's priced at $1700 a ticket for the cheapest ticket...

[jonny24]

Originally Posted by EnvisionSaintJohn

And think how successful those big three clubs could be in the CPL if they sold their MLS Franchises, but kept the team identities.

I'd say roughly on par with the Montreal Alouttes, maybe as popular as the Blue Bombers if the team was winning a lot, but never as popular as the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

[elly63]

Celtic may also be showing an interest with Wilfried Nancy taking over there and looking for a replacement for 39 year old Kasper Schmeichel

[elly63]

Apparently DSC turned down seven figures a season at Minnesota to go to Miami while hopefully Sigur can make a move to a top league next month. Canadians are faring well in Italy and Spain at the moment.

[elly63]

In additional news to the Nico Sigur post above, Dutch club PSV are showing an interest in him.

[elly63]

CanMNT to play Uzbekistan in Edmonton in June?
Canadian Soccer Daily Staff canadiansoccerdaily.com December 23 2025

Canada Soccer’s pre-World Cup preparations appear to be taking further shape, after the Uzbekistan Football Association briefly published — then deleted — a graphic announcing a friendly against the Canadian men’s national team in Edmonton on June 1, 2026. At the time of writing, Canada Soccer has yet to confirm or comment on the date.

While neither federation has formally confirmed the match, the now-removed post quickly circulated online and adds weight to expectations that Canada will use the early June international window to finalize preparations ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on home soil. Edmonton was a key host city during 2022 World Cup making it a logical venue for a final tune-up fixture.

Canada Soccer previously indicated their intention to play two matches at home during that window. Jesse Marsch hinted at plans for a second friendly in Montreal, giving head coach Jesse Marsch an opportunity to evaluate his squad in two different environments before kicking off against the European Path A winner — Italy, Northern Ireland, Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina — on June 12 in Toronto.

A meeting with Uzbekistan would provide a meaningful non-CONCACAF test against another World Cup-qualified side. Uzbekistan, now managed by Italy World Cup winner Fabio Cannavaro, secured their very first World Cup berth and have been drawn into a challenging group alongside Portugal and Colombia.

[elly63]

There are a couple of other rumours going. One is that the Edmonton game will be played on turf which will need to be laid over the newly installed artificial turf.

Apparently Tunisia might be an opponent in the March window.

CANMNT’s “Road to 2026″ Opens with January Preparatory Camp and International Match vs Guatemala in California
canadasoccer.com December 22, 2025

North American-based players to participate in 10-day camp in California, including a match against Guatemala on January 17 2026

Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team (CANMNT) will gather in Irvine, California, for a 10-day preparatory camp from January 8–18 2026. The camp will support the program’s ongoing preparations for the FIFA World Cup 26 and provide an opportunity for a group of North American-based players, who are currently out of season, to participate in training activities under the direction of Jesse Marsch and his technical staff. Europe-based players will not be available due to their participation in active club competitions. The camp roster will be announced in the coming weeks.

Canada will also play an international friendly against Guatemala at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, California, on January 17 2026 at 19:00 Pacific Time. The match will be classified as a Tier 1 international fixture and therefore will count toward the FIFA Men’s World Rankings.

“This camp provides a valuable opportunity for a group of our North America-based players to come together, spend time within our environment, and continue their development as we prepare for an important year ahead. The match against Guatemala adds an important competitive component and supports players in building and maintaining match fitness ahead of their respective pre-seasons.” – Jesse Marsch, MLS Canada Head Coach of the Men’s National Team

Ticketing Information

Tickets will go on sale Monday, December 29 2025. More details to come via Canada Soccer’s social channels.

Broadcast Information

Canada vs. Guatemala will air live on OneSoccer , available on the fuboTV Canada platform, as a linear channel on Telus’s Optik TV (Channel 980), as well as online at OneSoccer.ca and through the OneSoccer app. Fans will find extended coverage across Canada Soccer’s digital channels on Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, Bluesky, and YouTube featuring the hashtag #CANMNT.

CANMNT Matches ahead of FIFA World Cup 26

Additional details regarding remaining matches in Canada Soccer’s Road to 2026 will be announced early in the new year.

[elly63]

Good news, bad news: The good news is Premier League side Wolverhampton is showing interest in Nico Sigur. The bad news is they are terrible this year and likely to be relegated.

Romano is a good source but this may be premature as Sigur might wait until after the World Cup to field other offers.

[elly63]

[elly63]

[elly63]

Good news, bad news: The good news is Championship side Norwich City is signing Ali Ahmed. The bad news is they are in the relegation zone. Still, half the season to go, hopefully they rebound.

[elly63]

Good news, bad news: The good news is Bundesliga side St Pauli is signing a loan deal with Canadian goalie prospect Emil Gazdov. The bad news is they are in the relegation zone. Still, half the season to go, hopefully they rebound.

Emil Gazdov on loan to FC St. Pauli
cfmontreal.com Jan 4, 2026

MONTREAL – CF Montreal today announced that it has loaned goalkeeper Emil Gazdov to Bundesliga FC St. Pauli until June 30.

FC St. Pauli will have a call option at the end of the loan. CF Montreal would keep a percentage on a possible resale of the player.

"We see this loan as an opportunity for Emil to acquire significant playing time in a competitive European context," said Luca Saputo, CF Montreal's Senior Director, Recruitment and Sports Methodology. This experience, combined with that gained during his loan last year, will be a valuable asset for his journey.

Gazdov was recently loaned to Valour FC of the Canadian Premier League (CPL) on August 16, 2025, where he played seven games and made a shutout.

The Bleu-blanc-noir acquired Gazdov on February 28 via a transfer from the CPL Pacific FC club. In three seasons with Pacific, Gazdov played more than 3,500 minutes in 41 games and made 12 shutouts. He also had two shutouts in three playoff games in 2023 and a three-game shutout in the 2024 TELUS Canadian Championship.

In 2024, Gazdov won the CPL Goalkeeper of the Year title with seven shutouts in 21 games and a record of 0.94 goals allowed per game. He was also named to the All-Star Team of the Year and was a finalist for the league’s Canadian Under-21 Player title.

Produced by the Vancouver Whitecaps Academy, Gazdov signed his first professional contract with Pacific FC in 2020, and was lent to the Bundesliga club academy, FC Nürnberg, playing with the U19 team, from 2020 to 2022.

Transaction: The goalkeeper Emil Gazdov is on loan to FC St. Pauli until June 30. FC St. Pauli will have a call option at the end of the loan. CF Montreal would keep a percentage on a possible resale of the player.

[elly63]

CANMNT Squad Named for January: Canada’s “Road to 2026” Begins with Training Camp and Match vs Guatemala
canadasoccer.com January 6 2026

North American-based player squad named for 10-day camp in California and match against Guatemala on January 17 2026.

Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team (CANMNT) has named a 20-player roster for their upcoming January preparatory camp from January 8-18 in Irvine, California. The camp will support the program’s ongoing preparations for the FIFA World Cup 26 and provide an opportunity for a group of North American-based players, who are currently out of season, to participate in training activities under the direction of MLS Canada Head Coach of the Men’s National Team Jesse Marsch and his technical staff.

Due to the January camp falling outside an official FIFA window and in recognition of both player and club needs ahead of their respective pre-seasons, the coaching staff worked closely with all clubs on squad selections. Most Europe-based players were not available due to their participation in active club competitions.

As part of the camp, Canada will play an international match against Guatemala at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, California, on January 17 at 19:00 Pacific Time. The match will be classified as a Tier 1 international fixture and therefore will count toward the FIFA Men’s World Rankings. Tickets for the Canada v Guatemala match are on sale now.

Additional details regarding remaining matches in Canada Soccer’s Road to 2026 will be announced in the coming weeks.

“We’re excited to have an extra opportunity to have a Men’s National Team camp ahead of a massive year. We have a very talented squad of North American-based players who will be hungry to prove themselves. 2026 is going to be pivotal for Canada and for this program, let’s be ready to seize the moment. Go Canada!” – Jesse Marsch, MLS Canada Head Coach of the Men’s National Team

CANMNT Coaching Staff

The January window will also feature a camp-specific coaching staff to support the group.
Cavalry FC Head Coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr.
Simcoe County Rovers FC Sporting Director Doneil Henry
Atlético Ottawa Goalkeeper Coach Romuald Peiser
NVFC Norvan FC Head Coach Andrew Peat
will join the technical staff alongside Jesse Marsch, Mauro Biello, Ewan Sharp and Yianni Michelis.

CANMNT Squad

Goalkeepers
Luka Gavran Toronto FC
James Pantemis Portland Timbers FC

Defenders
Noah Abatneh Atlético Ottawa
Zorhan Bassong Sporting Kansas City
Matteo de Brienne GAIS
Richie Laryea Toronto FC
Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty CF Montréal
Kamal Miller Portland Timbers FC
Ralph Priso Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Joel Waterman Chicago Fire

Midfielders
Jeevan Badwal Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Mathieu Choinière Los Angeles FC
Jayden Nelson Austin FC
Marcelo Flores Tigres UANL
Shola Jimoh Inter Toronto FC
Jonathan Osorio Toronto FC
Jacob Shaffelburg Los Angeles FC

Forwards:
Tiago Coimbra Halifax Wanderers FC
Rayan Elloumi Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Jacen Russell-Rowe Columbus Crew

Training Player: Marius Aiyenero Los Angeles FC 2

Broadcast Information

Canada v. Guatemala will air live on OneSoccer , available on the fuboTV Canada platform, as a linear channel on Telus’s Optik TV (Channel 980), as well as online at OneSoccer.ca and through the OneSoccer app. Fans will find extended coverage across Canada Soccer’s digital channels on Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, Bluesky, and YouTube featuring the hashtag #CANMNT. 

[elly63]

Maybe a bit premature, but there is some truth to this rumour

[elly63]

No good news, bad news scenario here, only good news (if it happens). Also working in Jonathan Sirois' favour is former CF Montreal VP Olivier Renard is the sporting director at Anderlecht.