Why the World Cup in Canada Is a Bigger Moment Than the Games Themselves
Experts say hosting the tournament will reshape soccer's future in a country historically defined by hockey—and may not happen again for decades.
The day's top stories, food & events — every morning at 7. Unsubscribe anytime.
When Ghana faced Panama at Toronto Stadium on Wednesday night, it marked only the second men's World Cup match ever held on Canadian soil. That rarity—and what it means for the sport's future in the country—is precisely why this tournament matters far beyond the final whistle.
Canada has always been a hockey nation. Soccer, by comparison, has been an afterthought in the national sports hierarchy. The men's national team didn't appear in the World Cup until 1986, when it was hosted in Mexico. The team didn't survive the group stage, losing to France, Hungary, and the Soviet Union. For decades after, the sport languished in relative obscurity. Canada only returned to the World Cup in 2022, when it scored its first-ever goal in the tournament against Croatia—but still failed to advance from the group stage.
The infrastructure gap tells the story. Pathak, a sports and entertainment expert, pointed out that Canada has lacked sufficient infrastructure for soccer events. The country's sports culture has cycled through eras: "Canada has always been seen naturally as a hockey country, and then for a short time we were a basketball country, and now it seems that we're in our third evolution of where soccer could be in this country."
But something is shifting. Both Toronto and Vancouver have upgraded their facilities to host World Cup matches. Toronto's BMO Field—renamed Toronto Stadium for the tournament—underwent a $158-million renovation. In recent years, strong Canadian athletes have begun emerging from domestic teams, sparking wider interest. The further Canada's team progresses, the more global attention the country will receive.
"The further this team goes into the World Cup, the ability to get out of the group and into the knockout will yield significant success," Pathak said. "It's these incredible moments that the World Cup creates in any sort of large sporting event that makes us forget all the troubles that we sometimes face for 90 minutes."
Hosting the tournament could also attract foreign interest in Canadian soccer. The World Cup is the planet's top soccer event, bringing global visibility to host nations. Getting out of the group stage would help Canada stand out on the world stage, but the ability to host the event itself brings attention to the country for both soccer and international sports tourism.
Experts describe this window as rare. The opportunity to experience the world's biggest sporting event at home—something most countries never get—is precious. For a nation still building its soccer identity, it's a once-in-a-lifetime chance to reshape how the sport is seen and played at home. "Truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," as one observer put it, one that may not return for decades.