What to know
- An expert says the World Cup’s impact in Canada will extend far beyond the final whistle, creating opportunities for long-term growth in soccer.
- Canada has historically been better known for hockey, but growing fan interest and recent national team success are helping soccer gain momentum.
- Hosting the tournament may attract international attention to Canadian soccer, tourism, and future sports and entertainment events.
- The World Cup offers Canadians a rare chance to experience the sport’s biggest event at home, something experts say may not happen again for decades.
As Toronto prepares to host its second World Cup match, one sports and entertainment expert says that the impact of the global tournament will outlast the event.
The second ever World Cup match held in Canada is taking place on Wednesday with Ghana facing Panama at the Toronto Stadium.
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Although the country is one of three hosts for the global event, Canada is not distinguishably known for its soccer culture.
The country’s men’s national team first appeared in the World Cup in 1986, which was hosted in Mexico. At the time, the team did not survive the group stage, being defeated by France, Hungary, and the Soviet Union.
After that, Canada only returned to the World Cup in 2022, when it scored its first ever goal in the tournament against Croatia, but it was still not enough to make it out of the group stage.
Pathak said a lot of it has to do with not having enough infrastructure for soccer events in the country.
In addition, the country has always been best known for hockey, and gone through different phases, where fans gradually cultivated interest for other sports.
“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,” he said.
World Cup could mean more interest in soccer in Canada
But as Canada hosts the World Cup for the first time, Pathak says there’s now an opportunity for the sport to grow within the country.
With World Cup matches coming to Toronto and Vancouver, both cities have upgraded their facilities to receive the event.
Toronto’s BMO Field, which has been renamed Toronto Stadium for the duration of the event, has undergone a $158-million renovation to accommodate the matches.
In addition, Pathak says in recent years, some great athletes have been emerging from Canadian teams, which also sparked more interest in the sport.
“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,” he added.
“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.”
Tournament could also spark global interest
In addition to inspiring more Canadians to follow soccer, Pathak said being a host in the World Cup could also attract foreign interest in Canadian soccer.
As explained by the expert, the World Cup is the world’s top soccer events, bringing great visibility into the country. Although getting ahead of the group stage could help Canada stand out in the world stage, its ability to host the event could also bring more attention into the country for both soccer and other sports and entertainment events.
In addition, Canada’s unique diverse identity might also help the city stand out.
“We’re one of the unique countries in the world where you can cheer for two countries, as a country that has nationalities from all around the world,” he said. “We get to wear the red, white, and proudly the maple leaf, but also, if we have parents or grandparents or another generation from another country…we’re able to share for that.”
‘A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity’
The World Cup might be a great opportunity to put Canada on the global spotlight, but more than that, Pathak said it’s a chance for locals to soak in the soccer energy and take advantage of being a host.
His advice for those who are still on the sidelines for tickets is to act quickly, as he believes tickets might soon sell out, while prices might remain unchanged.
“The ability to host a World Cup game in this country may not come around for another 30 to 50 years. This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If you have the means, if you have the ability, go and watch the best football for 90 minutes,” he said.
