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Posted by
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April 15, 2017 |
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Aaron Nielsen
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@ENBSports
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The FIFA World Cup could potentially be played in Canada. A statement that might not have been possible a few years ago, however when the joint Canada - Mexico - United States bid was announced on Monday, I wasn't surprised. I even mentioned this could be the case months earlier in a tweet regarding the prospects of the Canadian Premier League. The fact it is in connection with the United States is also not surprising, based on population, available stadiums, and that countries in the World Cup tournament will be 48 in 2026.
Am I excited by the announcement? This is another question, because like many of my articles, I can't stop myself from being cynical as I look at the bigger and long-term picture. What might be a shock to others, I feel Canada could have had a good shot as the leading country for a World Cup bid, as much as being part of what is basically a United States bid. If you look at the World in terms of soccer after Russia and the Middle East, only two countries realistically deserve to host their first Men's World Cup and that would be Canada and Australia.
Added to this is that Canada has proven to be a success in hosting other FIFA related tournaments from the World Youth Men's and Women's Championship to the Women's World Cup. We also fit FIFA's mandate from the last few World Cups in growing the game domestically. World Cups in United States in 1994, Korea/Japan in 2002, South Africa in 2010 and the upcoming in Russia and Qatar were granted to raise the game domestically as well as promote or establish a local professional league. Canada is also richer than most countries in terms of per capita income, so although our population might be smaller than other countries, selling tickets to the event would never be an issue.
However, we also have to look at this realistically, and as a Canadian I know we will never be ambitious enough to take on such an event. We would never build the stadiums to facilitate such an undertaking, although Toronto could use a new stadium for an NFL team, which probably could be financed privately and the same could be said for Montreal and baseball. That would potentially give us four 50,000 seat stadiums with 30,000 seat stadiums in Ottawa, Winnipeg, Hamilton, Regina and ones could be build with the purpose of the CPL and CFL in Calgary, Quebec City, and Moncton or Halifax, which would also make a Canadian World Cup a real proposition.
Right now we have Vancouver and Edmonton with World Cup sized stadiums and a number of stadiums that would be regarded as secondary stadiums, similar to the Manaus Amazon stadium from the Brazil World Cup in 2014. So what I expect from the 2026 World Cup is that the Canadian team, who will gain an automatic qualification to the tournament, will be based in BC with thier group of three teams also using Edmonton as a venue. While Toronto's BMO field and Montreal's Saputo or Olympic stadium will hold minnow style games in groups along the American Eastern Coast. For example, Toronto might host a game between Iceland and Iran if BMO field is the proposed stadium.
If that becomes a reality, it would be pretty pathetic coming from one of the larger and richest cities in the world. Meanwhile, during the same World Cup, high profile countries such as England, Italy and Spain would likely be playing games in places such as Kansas City, Saint Louis, Philadelphia and Dallas. Although this is what we expect from Canada and what a majority accept. So I wouldn't argue Canada's role in the 2026 World Cup is a bad thing, just not something to really get excited about.
This is a common theme for both Canada and soccer in Canada. Let's look at the recent Women's World Cup and ask the question was there benefit from it? I would argue no. The CSA still hasn't revealed the costs and revenue generated from the tournament and how that money is being spent. Meanwhile, the rise of soccer in Canada is far more to do with global influence and how the Canadian MLS clubs have performed than hosting a major tournament. To be honest, the women's game in Canada and North America has actually taken a step backwards, as I predicted at the time, with our best players now looking at Europe to further their careers.
Added, I don't even think Canada automatically qualifying for the World Cup is a good thing. There might be some benefit in terms of recruiting players to play, but it also gives the CSA and the squad in general an excuse not to perform. This issue will be even more compounded if we don't qualify for World Cup 2022, as we will go into the 2026 tournament with 40 years history of failure.
I do expect us to be awarded 2026, with only an Australia/New Zealand bid being any real competition. I also think there is an opportunity for Canada to achieve something greater from the tournament with a bit of ambition, such as building a new stadium in Toronto. This would force the organizers and FIFA to consider Toronto as a viable option for more high profile games, including the opener or even a semi-final/finals. Even though it would be a one-off gesture, it will show the rest of the World our ambition regarding the game of soccer, and although the stadium long term would be used for other events, it could also be a catalyst for future soccer ambition just like BMO field has become since the 2007 U20 FIFA World Cup.
I don't expect this will happen, and to generate as much money as possible and compensate playing in a smaller stadium the Iceland vs Iran game tickets will be $200 a piece. But I am hopeful by 2026 we will not accept it in the stereotypical Canadian fashion, and aim to become a larger presence on the biggest soccer stage in the world.
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Aaron Neilsen is a co-founder of Prospect XI (Prospect Eleven), a scouting network and online magazine dedicated to tracking/highlighting young players that refer to as "prospects" as well as their development pathways both within North America and worldwide. Follow PXI via www.prospectxi.com or on twitter @ProspectXI.
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