Montreal has officially entered its bid to take part in the 2026 World Cup.
It would be host of one or some of the ten soccer games that would be played in Canada if the joint North American bid for the 2026 World Cup is successful.
The proposed plan calls for 60 of the 80 games in the tournament to be held in the U.S. with 10 each going to Canada and Mexico.
"The men's soccer World Cup… is the second most important sporting event in the world after the Summer Olympics. That's why Montreal wants to be there. We are determined to be one of the Canadian cities hosting the prestigious international tournament. Whether it is the popularity of the Montreal Impact or the recent FIFA Women's World Cup in 2015, it is clear: Montreal is a true city of soccer, " said Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre in a news release.
In July representatives of the Canadian, U.S. and Mexican national soccer federations announced the establishment of a UNIS 2026 committee (UNITED 2026), to apply jointly for the soccer tournament.
In addition to Montreal, other Canadian cities bidding to take part are Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa, Regina, Calgary and Edmonton.
FIFA will decide on who will host the 2026 tournament in 2020. It will be the first tournament featuring FIFA’s expanded format.
The current tournament structure, which will be used in Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022, involves 32 teams and 64 matches. The new format will feature 16 groups of three with the top two from each pool advancing to a 32-team knockout.
The tournament will remain at 32 days.
By 2026, it will have been 32 years and seven World Cups since the 1994 one held in the U.S. with Europe (3), Asia (2), Africa (1) and South America (1) having served as host in the meantime.
With a report from The Canadian Press
