Toronto –
Canada doesn’t typically attract the focus of international soccer, but when it hosts its first World Cup match next year, global fans will encounter a country where the sport is thriving.
Kick-off in Canada’s inaugural World Cup match is set for June 12, 2026 in Toronto, a city consistently listed as one of the world’s most diverse, where immigration has propelled football’s rise.
Data ranks soccer as the most popular sport among Canadian youth and, while the country retains its love for ice hockey, families increasingly struggle to take part in the cherished sport, often due to cost.
Soccer surging in Canada a year from World Cup hosting
