The FIFA World Cup 2018. Surely, there can nothing better than that. Nothing can get bigger than this. It’s the mother of all sporting spectacles and one that France triumphed at recently, as recent as a few hours before.
And in the immediate aftermath of France dusting aside Croatia, all thoughts immediately were transfixed on Canada. Do you know why? For the longest time, the giant, north of North America has wondered with rich fervour about a possibility to host the greatest show on earth- the FIFA World Cup.
And now, finally, there seems to be an answer. It is believed that while Canada may not be exclusively hosting the keenly-anticipated (well, from its perspective) Football World Cup in the future, it certainly stands a chance to co-host it.
At the moment, it is being believed that big things are waiting in the pipeline for Canada. The 2026 World Cup might be co-hosted by Canada, alongside Mexico as well as the US.
Of late, there’s also been a lot of footballing excitement concerning Canada in regards to fulfilling its soccer dreams. Thankfully, due to the inception of the CPL- the Canadian Premier League- one may no longer see a dearth of inarguably the most famous sport in the world in Justin Trudeau-land.
In regards with the same, the following snippet was published on the revered platform- The Colonist-
“The CPL will fulfil the long-held dream of a stand-alone pan-Canadian professional soccer league. The Vancouver Island franchise in the CPL will be officially announced during an unveiling Friday at 3:30 p.m. in the E&N Roundhouse, to which the public is invited.” “The timing could not be better for the launch of the CPL as the love for the game will only grow as we build toward 2026. These are very exciting times for football in Canada,” said Josh Simpson, the former European pro and Canadian national team player from Victoria, who will serve as president of the Island franchise in the CPL.”
But against that backdrop, while a not has been said in worldwide media upholding Canada’s selection to co-host the World Cup, it finally seems that the key big moment has arrived. And the same has been confirmed.
One wonders, what might be the most preferred venues along the massive speculation and anticipation for a tournament that is slated to take place in 2026?
For a country that, usually stays focused on Hockey, preferably, Ice Hockey at that, to have a growing fervour for Football is, indeed, a massive shift in the dominant fortunes. In fact, for a country whose greatest moment in the popular sport came through the participation of a once-famous trinity- Ian Bridge, George Pakos and, Jamie Lowery- the only notable heroes from Canada to have played in a World Cup (the first for Canada) there’s bright hope that things might change for the better.
Under the tutelage of new coach John Herdman, a new team prepares to herald into the future. This trinity is part of a famous Canadian footballing lexicon now and wishes to see brighter times ahead for the country.
One is hopeful that owing to the forthcoming world cup, slated for 2026- 8 years down the line that it may be- will expose the country and its burgeoning sporting culture to the sport in an enhanced way.
For quite some time now, contests held at the serenely beautiful Vancouver Island have given both players as well as those watching a lot of admiration and pure joy. One will only hope for things to be absolutely gung-ho in the times to come for Canada.
“Soccer is definitely going to get more exposure and grow in Canada because of 2026,” noted former goalkeeper Garth Downs has shared.