2026 FIFA World Cup

[thurmas]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Not sure I agree. Toronto and Montreal are pretty much on par when it comes to transportation, tourist attractions, hotels, nightlife, at least in the context of what FIFA might be looking for. Sure Toronto is bigger and has a stronger economy, but it doesn't matter.

Edmonton is the odd man out, but as others have said, it was the only city of significant size that has a worthy stadium outside of Vancouver. Edmonton will benefit more from FIFA than Montreal or Toronto will in terms of world exposure.

Not true IG field in Winnipeg is far more modern with better amenities than 42 year old Commonwealth and Mosaic in Regina as well both can be expanded temporarily to 45,000 seats.

[Tg11]

Originally Posted by thurmas

Not true IG field in Winnipeg is far more modern with better amenities than 42 year old Commonwealth and Mosaic in Regina as well both can be expanded temporarily to 45,000 seats.

Then how come Winnipeg and Regina were taken out of the bid book originally? Another reason being transportation in both of those cities. Not a large enough airport for the 47 other World Cup teams or their fans but also not a whole lot you can do in those cities either as far as sightseeing or nightlife. Hotel accommodations are below par. Come on.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by thurmas

Not true IG field in Winnipeg is far more modern with better amenities than 42 year old Commonwealth and Mosaic in Regina as well both can be expanded temporarily to 45,000 seats.

Wasn't a fan of IG Fields until I visited Winnipeg a few years back. I in awe when I saw it in real life. Ultimately, I feel like Winnipeg might have fallen a little short when it came to FIFA's requirements.

Referring to Cold's list, Winnipeg's airport is on the small side, the market does not capture a huge population (a million within driving distance vs 3 million for Edmonton), there's a lack of luxury hotels (ICE District is a huge plus for Edmonton), public transit is lacking (Commonwealth is served by LRT). I feel like Winnipeg might have an edge when it comes to destination\tourism activities, but that's not as important.

And this isn't to diss Winnipeg. Ottawa was missing a lot too. Our market is already covered by Montreal and Toronto, so that knocks us out in several categories. We might, possibly have enough luxury hotel space, but I'm not sure. Public transit to the stadium is lacking.

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

There was a 500 pager outlining the bid, potential host-city requirements etc.

Basically:

-airport size/connections
-market capture
-geographic coverage
-4star + hotel capacity
-public transportation
-media facilities/infrastructure
-destination activities/tourism potential
-reputation/resume of similar large-scale events
-political will
etc.

[elly63]

Originally Posted by Tg11

Then how come Winnipeg and Regina were taken out of the bid book originally? Another reason being transportation in both of those cities. Not a large enough airport for the 47 other World Cup teams or their fans but also not a whole lot you can do in those cities either as far as sightseeing or nightlife. Hotel accommodations are below par. Come on.

Toronto was left out of the Women's World Cup and nobody missed it or cared.

[elly63]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Wasn't a fan of IG Fields until I visited Winnipeg a few years back. I in awe when I saw it in real life. Ultimately, I feel like Winnipeg might have fallen a little short when it came to FIFA's requirements.

FIFA has no rules ie Qatar

[elly63]

Originally Posted by Tg11

Then how come Winnipeg and Regina were taken out of the bid book originally? Another reason being transportation in both of those cities. Not a large enough airport for the 47 other World Cup teams or their fans but also not a whole lot you can do in those cities either as far as sightseeing or nightlife. Hotel accommodations are below par. Come on.

I can't remember the exact reasons why some cities were eliminated or more likely withdrew but costs for such things as security were ridiculous. Vancouver and Chicago told FIFA to go f themselves.

The 2026 World Cup is coming to the U.S.—just not to Chicago
City officials withdrew their bid this spring, citing risks to taxpayers and FIFA’s “unwillingness to negotiate”
Jay Koziarz Jun 13, 2018

[thurmas]

In 2015 when Winnipeg hosted the U.S. team for the women's world cup matches it did phenomenal business here and the American fans were very happy here and found it a good party town and easy to navigate. Winnipeg is like Indianapolis or St Louis not the prettiest city but some of the best people the city is sort of just like an old reliable comfy couch.

[svlt]

They have no rules but they have preferences. I'm frankly (pleasantly) surprised Edmonton is still on the short list, I thought the spot would've given to a US city already, I hope Edmonton shows well to the world and people learn more about Canadian cities aside from the big three.

And in the least sexist, most PC way I can say this, the Women's World Cup is significantly less prestigious and given less attention/attendance than the Men's World Cup so I'm sure if Toronto was passed over for 2026 for other Canadian cities heads would roll...

[thenoflyzone]

Originally Posted by Tg11

But then again in terms of economy Toronto is more richer than Montreal and Edmonton in terms of other areas like hotels, transportation, etc but also compared to both of those cities in Toronto there is a lot more you can do in terms of tourism/sightseeing/nightlife during World Cup time compared to Montreal or Edmonton hence why Toronto was chosen. Money talks at the end of the day.

You’ve obviously never been to Montreal. As J.OT13 said, Toronto is on par with Montreal when it comes to that stuff. Edmonton is a distant third.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by svlt

They have no rules but they have preferences. I'm frankly (pleasantly) surprised Edmonton is still on the short list, I thought the spot would've given to a US city already, I hope Edmonton shows well to the world and people learn more about Canadian cities aside from the big three.

And in the least sexist, most PC way I can say this, the Women's World Cup is significantly less prestigious and given less attention/attendance than the Men's World Cup so I'm sure if Toronto was passed over for 2026 for other Canadian cities heads would roll...

I wouldn't say heads would roll. The opportunity would always have been there for Toronto to seize. If they squandered it, it would be their own fault.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Not sure I agree. Toronto and Montreal are pretty much on par when it comes to transportation, tourist attractions, hotels, nightlife, at least in the context of what FIFA might be looking for. Sure Toronto is bigger and has a stronger economy, but it doesn't matter.

Edmonton is the odd man out, but as others have said, it was the only city of significant size that has a worthy stadium outside of Vancouver. Edmonton will benefit more from FIFA than Montreal or Toronto will in terms of world exposure.

I was going to say the same thing. Even Vancouver had it been the third city, would still have been seen as a logical choice by anyone worldwide.

I mean, if you want to go to a WC in Japan, will you write off going if the games you want to see are in Osaka, and not in Tokyo? You don't expect all the games of all the groups to be in the country's largest city.

BTW none of this is knock on Edmonton. It's just more of an unknown quantity to most people around the world than our three biggest cities. I am sure they will do a great job hosting - they're generally really good at this stuff.

[wave46]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I wouldn't say heads would roll. The opportunity would always have been there for Toronto to seize. If they squandered it, it would be their own fault.

Toronto would have to work to squander it. Really hard.

It's not as if FIFA is spoiled for choice in Canadian city venues - we've a few select ones and a bunch of ones that would be pretty compromised from a FIFA-standard point-of-view.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by wave46

Toronto would have to work to squander it. Really hard.

It's not as if FIFA is spoiled for choice in Canadian city venues - we've a few select ones and a bunch of ones that would be pretty compromised from a FIFA-standard point-of-view.

It happens, though.

Japan (with Korea) hosted the WC and no games were held in Tokyo itself - the biggest city in the country and the world.

Yeah games were held in Yokohama which is within striking distance of Tokyo (40 or 50 km?). I guess some might argue that it's still the Tokyo area especially given the level of development in between the two.

But to me it's more like if Hamilton hosted WC games and people said it still counted as "Toronto" hosting.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Tg11

Then how come Winnipeg and Regina were taken out of the bid book originally? Another reason being transportation in both of those cities. Not a large enough airport for the 47 other World Cup teams or their fans but also not a whole lot you can do in those cities either as far as sightseeing or nightlife. Hotel accommodations are below par. Come on.

If Commonwealth Stadium was in Calgary or Winnipeg then that's where the third site would have been. Calgary, Winnipeg and Edmonton tick all the boxes in terms of being capable of hosting as a World Cup venue site, it's just that Edmonton is in the enviable position of having an ideal stadium. As nice as IG Field is there is no arguing with the fact that Commonwealth has a lot more seats. I have no doubt that was the distinguishing factor here.

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by esquire

If Commonwealth Stadium was in Calgary or Winnipeg then that's where the third site would have been. Calgary, Winnipeg and Edmonton tick all the boxes in terms of being capable of hosting as a World Cup venue site, it's just that Edmonton is in the enviable position of having an ideal stadium. As nice as IG Field is there is no arguing with the fact that Commonwealth has a lot more seats. I have no doubt that was the distinguishing factor here.

Indeed it is, along with just have more city amenities for international travellers. There's a balance to be struck between cities and stadiums and Edmonton's balance is better than Winnipeg's, or Regina's, or Ottawa's. If it was just based on logistics then certainly a Toronto-Ottawa-Montreal setup would work wonders, but it's not based on that, either.

FIFA doesn't select host cities on the sole basis of having a nicer or better stadium.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by JHikka

FIFA doesn't select host cities on the sole basis of having a nicer or better stadium.

No, but it can tip the balance... IG Field is great for events that require a mid-sized capacity of 33,000. Putting in temporary seats to run that up to 40,000 results in cramped surroundings. The situation is similar in Ottawa. By contrast, Edmonton can handle 55,000+ with ease. That's a big advantage for Edmonton and allows them to stand out from a cohort of cities that are broadly similar in terms of what they have to offer.

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by esquire

No, but it can tip the balance... IG Field is great for events that require a mid-sized capacity of 33,000. Putting in temporary seats to run that up to 40,000 results in cramped surroundings. The situation is similar in Ottawa. By contrast, Edmonton can handle 55,000+ with ease. That's a big advantage for Edmonton and allows them to stand out from a cohort of cities that are broadly similar in terms of what they have to offer.

Which is why these cities were perfect for the Women's World Cup. France did something similar in 2019 when they hosted - Paris only used one stadium and it wasn't its largest, with games being held at Parc des Princes but not Stade de France. Other host cities included Valenciennes, Reims, Montpellier, Le Havre...the cities that didn't host were also some of their largest with their largest stadiums: Marseille, Lyon (new stadium), Lille (new stadium), Bordeaux, Saint-Etienne. France is a perfect example of having two different levels of hosts given what they used to host for Euro 2016 and the Women's World Cup in 2019.

Much like not including Toronto in 2015, France did not include many of its larger cities in 2019, instead opting for medium and smaller-sized cities with adequate stadiums. Canada did something similar in 2015 by not including Toronto at all. If Canada ever hosts the tournament again I think they give serious consideration to places like Victoria, Calgary, and Halifax - locations that now have suitable stadiums, or stadiums which could be brought up to standard with expansion, which did not exist in 2015.

For the Women's World Cup another facet that would have been considered more than a World Cup would be American travelers, given that the WUSNT is so much better than the Men's. Ottawa, Winnipeg, and Vancouver were all perfect landing spots for Americans to quickly and easily cross the border...you can see this in the lack of attendance for the American's Round of 16 game in Edmonton.

Anyway, long story short, Winnipeg can have an amazing stadium but the city itself is still more suited to mid-sized events and will always be further in line for larger-scale events. This isn't a Canada-only phenomenon.

[MolsonExport]

FIFA has abolutely no credibility since they awarded the 2022 World Cup to Qatar, a ridiculously puny, explosively hot country where only 13% (313,00 souls*, which is approximately the population of greater Saskatoon) of the population are citizens.

*https://priyadsouza.com/population-o...ality-in-2017/

It is akin to awarding the Summer Olympics to Iceland.

[Antigonish]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

FIFA has abolutely no credibility since they awarded the 2022 World Cup to Qatar, a ridiculously puny, explosively hot country where only 13% (313,00 souls*, which is approximately the population of greater Saskatoon) of the population are citizens.

*https://priyadsouza.com/population-o...ality-in-2017/

It is akin to awarding the Summer Olympics to Iceland.

That World Cup should have been awarded to Australia. I remember at the time how pissed off everyone was and I think the president of the Australian FA openly mocked FIFA saying (paraphrasing) "We didn't have enough funds left over to bribe FIFA to make the right decision and award it to us"

[esquire]

Originally Posted by JHikka

Anyway, long story short, Winnipeg can have an amazing stadium but the city itself is still more suited to mid-sized events and will always be further in line for larger-scale events. This isn't a Canada-only phenomenon.

Well yeah, kind of like Edmonton which doesn't tend to attract a ton of top tier global sports events either. But they have a very big and nice stadium and when Vancouver backed out, that helped to get them in the door. Good for them, I say... that investment made in the 1970s is still paying off nicely.