Canadian Heritage Minister Melanie Joly announced a new goal on Friday that should give Montrealers a kick – making the city the home of some of the 2026 FIFA World Cup matches.
"Montreal is a world-class city and is the perfect venue to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup,” said Joly in a statement. “Our metropolis is thriving, and this major event is the perfect occasion to attract the entire world to Quebec and to Canada to create even more cultural, social and economic benefits for our whole society."
In March, the federal government announced its support-in-principle of making a bid to host the tournament along with the United States and Mexico, a decision that was finalized in April.
Canada played host to the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2015, with matches taking place in six cities across the country and drawing 1.35 million spectators.
Multiple critics said that no Canadian city should take part in the World Cup, citing the widespread corruption of FIFA and the onerous demands made by the organization -- including a ten-year tax holiday from host countries.
Hosting the World Cup is extremely expensive: It's estimated that Brazil spent $15 billion hosting the 2014 competition.
FIFA will decide on June 13 whether the North American group or Morocco will host the 2026 World Cup.
