Edmonton to reportedly miss out as 2026 World Cup host city

Vancouver and Toronto are reportedly set to be announced as the two Canadian host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Sportsnet contributor Irfaan Gaffar says an official announcement is expected on June 16. Edmonton is reportedly out of the running.

“Commonwealth [Stadium] isn’t FIFA approved to host a World Cup. That stadium would need massive upgrades right now,” Gaffar explained to the People’s Show on Sportsnet 650 Thursday.

Believe it came down to Edmonton and other American cities. Ultimately the decision was made to have a few more games in the US. Sucks for Canada and especially Edmonton.

— Irfaan Gaffar (@irfgaffar) June 9, 2022

He notes Vancouver’s BC Place will have to have grass installed. And while it’s a big investment for the venue and city, it could be a boost to tourism.

“The amount of games is going to be interesting to me because there’s going to be 10 in Canada. Is it split five and five … between Toronto? I think next week we’ll find out from FIFA when they announce it officially.”

Vancouver has never hosted the World Cup, though it has hosted several matches during the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015, including the final at BC Place, which drew thousands of spectators.

The selection process to figure out which cities in Mexico and the U.S., in addition to Canada, will host the tournament is ongoing.

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Vancouver officially entered the mix as a potential host city in April. At the time, Mayor Kennedy Stewart said he was confident and feeling good about his city’s chances.

“I’m not going to say if we get any games — how many games we get here in Vancouver,” he told CityNews on April 14.