Updated: 2026-06-19 | Live data is subject to official announcements
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is being co-hosted by Canada, the United States, and Mexico, marking the first time in World Cup history that matches are being played on Canadian soil. Since the opening on June 11, the atmosphere on the Canadian side has noticeably heated up. Chief tournament officer Peter Montopoli for FIFA’s Canadian events (also the former general secretary of Canada Soccer), in an interview with CFJC Today Kamloops, spoke about how this World Cup will leave Canada with far more than just one lively summer.
Montopoli spent roughly a decade working to bring the World Cup to Canada. He described seeing the whole country so engaged and so moved by this moment as “in some ways quite thrilling.” And when asked about the true long-term value of this tournament, his answer was direct — “It will change the sport.” In his view, the significance of the World Cup lies not in the economic figures on paper, but in whether it can get more Canadian children to start playing soccer and to see a path toward the professional stage. He even set the bar high: he hopes that one day soccer can stand alongside hockey as a dream worth chasing in the hearts of young Canadians.
This idea of a “legacy” is no empty talk. Canada has actually had a similar experience — in 2007 Toronto hosted the U-20 World Cup, and the impact it left can still be seen today in the renamed “Toronto Stadium” (better known as BMO Field). For Montopoli’s generation of soccer people, when a major tournament is run well, the venues, the youth development system, and grassroots participation are all pushed forward a step, and that is the core legacy he speaks of. The Canadian government is also investing in community sports infrastructure this time, including building community soccer fields across the country, with the goal of giving more young people places to play and train, paving the road “from the pitch to the stage” more solidly; specific quotas and program details are subject to official announcements.
Back to the matches themselves, Canada has two host cities this time: Vancouver and Toronto. Vancouver’s matches are held at BC Place, a venue with a retractable roof that is the larger of the home grounds on the Canadian side, and it will host a total of 7 matches including group-stage and knockout games, among them Round of 32 and Round of 16 fixtures. Toronto will host 6 matches at BMO Field (Toronto Stadium), where the Canadian team played the first World Cup tournament match in its history, also the very first World Cup match truly played on Canadian soil. Combined, the two cities host a total of 13 matches within Canada.
For fans living in these two cities, the most immediate change is “no more staying up all night.” In the past, to watch the World Cup, Canadian fans often had to follow the schedules of Europe or other time zones; this time, the matches are right at their doorstep, and being able to walk into the stadium at a reasonable hour and feel the atmosphere in person is itself a rare experience. Of course, during the tournament the city’s traffic flow, accommodation, and dining will all be heavily tested. For friends planning to watch matches in Vancouver or Toronto, we suggest putting accommodation and transportation at the top of your priority list — the earlier you book, the more reassured you will be; for getting around on site, Vancouver’s SkyTrain and Toronto’s TTC are the more worry-free choices, while those driving themselves should watch out for possible traffic controls and parking restrictions on match days.
On the broadcasting front, the rights to all 104 matches of this World Cup in Canada have been secured by Bell Media, with English channels being TSN and CTV and French being RDS, plus streaming on platforms such as TSN, CTV, and Crave, and every Canadian team match will be shown on CTV. For the exact per-match channel assignments and kickoff times, it is still advisable to rely on the announcements from TSN/CTV and FIFA officials.
In terms of the overall schedule, the 2026 World Cup runs from June 11 to July 19, with the tournament expanded from the previous edition’s 32 teams to 48 teams across 104 matches, making it the largest edition in history. For Canadian soccer, this is both an exposure on the world stage and the kind of test Montopoli speaks of — whether it can truly change a sport. The detailed match fixtures, ticket price ranges and on-sale times, as well as the regulations for international travelers entering the country (including eTA/visa), are all still subject to the official announcements of FIFA and the Canadian government, and confirming once more before departure is the safest bet.
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