World Cup summer kicks off with Montreal ready to feel it
Toronto and Vancouver host matches, but Montreal's deep football culture means the city will celebrate like nowhere else in Canada.
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The World Cup arrives in Canada on June 11 with matches officially belonging to Toronto and Vancouver. But Montreal is about to experience the tournament differently than any other Canadian city.
Football has never been a trend here — it's been part of daily life. For decades, cafés and pubs have packed for Champions League mornings. Neighbourhood restaurants have hosted World Cup debates that outlasted the meals. Italian, Haitian, Portuguese, Greek, Algerian, Moroccan, and Latin American communities carried football traditions long before the sport became commercially fashionable in North America.
When the tournament begins, the city will transform. Every terrace becomes a supporter section. Every sports bar feels like a stadium tunnel before kickoff. Flags will hang from apartment balconies. Car horns will echo through downtown after dramatic goals. Entire families will organize their days around match schedules. Office productivity will disappear during afternoon kickoffs.
Canada's men's team under Jesse Marsch represents the strongest generation of football talent the country has produced. Alphonso Davies is a global superstar. Jonathan David scores at Europe's highest level. Players like Stephen Eustáquio, Tajon Buchanan, Moïse Bombito, Ismaël Koné, Alistair Johnston, Joel Waterman, Jacob Shaffelburg, and Cyle Larin have changed international perceptions of Canadian football entirely.
Canada no longer arrives at the World Cup simply hoping to belong. The collective emotion and chaos that follows the opening whistle — that's what people remember most.