Latin American community in Canada tripled since 1996
Population surge to 580,000 as World Cup 2026 approaches; Spanish speakers reshaping Canada's soccer culture.
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Canada's Latin American population has grown from roughly 177,000 in 1996 to over 580,000 by 2021—a threefold increase that's reshaping the country's relationship with soccer and creating tight-knit immigrant communities across major cities.
The shift is visible on the ground. Ramon Pelayo, who moved to Canada from Mexico eight years ago, now owns La Familia Mexican Barber near BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, a shop that opened in 2022 and has become a neighborhood hub. Its walls display Latin American memorabilia, Mexican flags serve as barber's capes, and the customer base includes several Vancouver Whitecaps players.
"You can hear in the streets" the growing Spanish-speaking population, Pelayo said. "I feel it's going to start to grow, the soccer community here in Canada, but we have it in our blood, Latin people, because your parents teach you."
Statistics Canada data shows the biggest source countries are Colombia and Mexico, followed by El Salvador, Peru, Chile, and Brazil. For many, the 2026 World Cup—which Canada is co-hosting—represents a rare chance to celebrate their heritage at home.
Fernanda Jardim, who moved from Brazil in 2016, said her community of Brazilian friends in Vancouver has grown steadily. "I feel at home here as well," she said. "You become family when you're living abroad and everyone is so open to help each other." She attended the 2014 World Cup in Rio de Janeiro and feels fortunate to experience another tournament in the country where she now lives.
Both Pelayo and Jardim see the World Cup as a moment for the broader Latin community to be seen and celebrated—and for younger generations, like Pelayo's two Canadian-born children, a bridge between heritage and home.