News   Apr 18, 2024
 141     0 
News   Apr 18, 2024
 478     0 
News   Apr 17, 2024
 1.8K     0 

Canadian Soccer Association to bid for 2026 World Cup

Well it's official we are in! Means I may actually see Canada in a World Cup in my lifetime. May not have happened any other way ;)

As a serious football fan (the only professional sport I watch) I'm not even stoked.

We get some group stage matches and best of luck getting tickets. At least when it's far away I don't have to pretend I'm going to get to a match I actually want to see.

Also, @TrickyRicky, ease up. We may still have to qualify. As far as I know the procedure hasn't been made clear yet.
Don't forget that there would be 48 teams in the 2026 edition. The number of CONCACAF spots would increase from 3.5 to as many as 8 in 2026 (3 hosts (taken from the regular CONCACAF spots) + 3 other regular CONCACAF members + 1 regular CONCACAF playoff spot (if it were to win the qualification playoffs) + 1 CONCACAF playoff spot for being the host confederation (if it were to win the qualification playoffs)).
 
To be clear, US/Canada/Mexico won the bid to host the World Cup, not the cities in the bid book. Host Cities will only be selected in 2021. Toronto is not yet guaranteed a spot although it seems like an obvious choice.

The bid itself doesn’t necessarily reflect the final plan. BMO Field was put forward in the bid as a venue but I’m told that there’s a chance that BMO won’t be used at all. Interested venues will have an opportunity to make a proposal to be their city’s stadium over the next 2 years before host cities are selected.

The only other option in Toronto would be the SkyDome. It makes sense if Rogers pitches their major stadium revitalization and their transit accessible central location. They can build a temporary grass pitch for the week or two that games will be played in Toronto.
 
To be clear, US/Canada/Mexico won the bid to host the World Cup, not the cities in the bid book. Host Cities will only be selected in 2021. Toronto is not yet guaranteed a spot although it seems like an obvious choice.

The bid itself doesn’t necessarily reflect the final plan. BMO Field was put forward in the bid as a venue but I’m told that there’s a chance that BMO won’t be used at all. Interested venues will have an opportunity to make a proposal to be their city’s stadium over the next 2 years before host cities are selected.

The only other option in Toronto would be the SkyDome. It makes sense if Rogers pitches their major stadium revitalization and their transit accessible central location. They can build a temporary grass pitch for the week or two that games will be played in Toronto.
It would also not rule out the construction of a Super Bowl-ready NFL stadium in Downsview Park to be used for a few games in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
 
To be clear, US/Canada/Mexico won the bid to host the World Cup, not the cities in the bid book. Host Cities will only be selected in 2021. Toronto is not yet guaranteed a spot although it seems like an obvious choice.

The bid itself doesn’t necessarily reflect the final plan. BMO Field was put forward in the bid as a venue but I’m told that there’s a chance that BMO won’t be used at all. Interested venues will have an opportunity to make a proposal to be their city’s stadium over the next 2 years before host cities are selected.

The only other option in Toronto would be the SkyDome. It makes sense if Rogers pitches their major stadium revitalization and their transit accessible central location. They can build a temporary grass pitch for the week or two that games will be played in Toronto.
Are the Blue Jays planning to switch to grass?
I think that plan also called for permanently fixing the seats in Baseball mode.
Is SkyDome big enough for Soccer - I think so.
If the plan is for permanent Baseball configuration, could they still rotate the stands for soccer mode (i.e. a one time rotation, and not switching back-and-forth on hours notice?
 
Skydome question has already been settled. It could easily hold the tournament now - they’ve added temporary natural turf for soccer in the past, and there’s more thank enough room for a regulation pitch.

But it’s not going to happen.

BMO field at 40k w temp seating is the right size for the matchups we’ll be expecting, conversion cost is minimal (temp bleachers), the CNE site gives more opportunity for adding related activities and the site is significantly easier to secure.

And that’s even before we consider that the Jays reno will quite likely include rendering the facility unable to convert to football.
 
Forget the Skydome. It'll be at BMO Field. As far as I can tell it's going to be permanently expanded. Which is good because those money hungry bastards at ML$E have cut down on viewing area for GA tickets whilst still selling the same amount of them. Well, maybe it's their way of getting us to help cover the costs.

@JohnnyAu, they aren't likely to allow automatic placement for three host nations and given that Canada and Mexico only get 10 matches each and the US get 60, it looks like only the US will get host placement. Hopefully we can qualify by then regularly, especially given the expansion. I swear, if we can't manage it then.....

PS: Respect to everyone for calling it the Skydome!
 
Forget the Skydome. It'll be at BMO Field. As far as I can tell it's going to be permanently expanded. Which is good because those money hungry bastards at ML$E have cut down on viewing area for GA tickets whilst still selling the same amount of them. Well, maybe it's their way of getting us to help cover the costs.

@JohnnyAu, they aren't likely to allow automatic placement for three host nations and given that Canada and Mexico only get 10 matches each and the US get 60, it looks like only the US will get host placement. Hopefully we can qualify by then regularly, especially given the expansion. I swear, if we can't manage it then.....

PS: Respect to everyone for calling it the Skydome!
South Korea and Japan both got host nations spots in a 32 team tournament. Now tournament is 48, so same ratio would imply 3 hosts.
And in terms of international rankings, they were both lower than 2 of these 3 CONCACAF hosts.
 
Is SkyDome big enough for Soccer - I think so.

Yes.

141231353.0.jpg
 

Attachments

  • 141231353.0.jpg
    141231353.0.jpg
    263.7 KB · Views: 709
Ugh, look at that joke of a pitch. Skydome and Stade Olympique need to stay away from football.

On the other hand, that doesn't look as ridiculous as NYCFC's joke at Yankee Stadium.
 
I'll second what has been mentioned her before. Exhibition GO Station is a death trap waiting to happen if they do not expand the entrances and exits for the World Cup. Last weekend after the TFC game it took for ages to get through the station tunnels.

Also, the station needs a good scrub and renovation. It's a tragic farce of chain link fences, paper laminated signage and confusing locations for Presto machines.
 
Man, I've suffered that tunnel for years. So glad to be back in Parkdale and walking distance to the stadium. I don't even go to pubs in Liberty after the match because they just become extensions of the mashed tunnel.
 
Yeah because a lot of people are going to either be walking to BMO Field especially if they live in downtown Toronto or they are going to take GO Train to BMO Field no matter if they are coming from downtown Toronto or coming from places like Mississauga, Brampton, Etobicoke, Oakville, Hamilton, etc.

Or if they are tourists here from other countries here to watch their country play...they are going to be staying in hotels no doubt or staying with relatives who live here in Toronto, so the transit system to get to the games is gonna be hell. Just even getting inside BMO is also going to be hell as well.
 
What's your point? It's already hell.

Have you been through the underpass on a match day?

It's part of the experience.
 

Back
Top