SOCCER: World Cup brings global spotlight to Toronto

When the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off, Canada — alongside Mexico and the United States — will co-host the biggest tournament in the competition’s history.

Toronto and Vancouver are expected to attract millions of visitors and generate $3.8 billion in economic activity, including $2 billion in gross domestic product and $1.3 billion in labor income.

While Canada's team is not yet among the soccer elite, the team appears determined to redefine its place in the global game as co-hosts of the World Cup.

The nation's appearance in the 2022 tournament snapped a 36-year absence from the finals and when Alphonso Davies headed Canada in front with their first-ever World Cup goal, albeit in a 4-1 loss to Croatia, it sparked country-wide celebrations.

-Kyaw Soe Oo, Kevin Fogarty and Deborah Gembara/Reuters