Edmonton is part of the winning bid to host the men’s 2026 FIFA World Cup but getting teams on the actual turf at Commonwealth Stadium is not a guarantee.
The joint North American bid includes 23 cities in the U.S., Mexico and Canada, including Edmonton, Toronto and Montreal. FIFA said it will chose 16 host cities for the international soccer tournament.
Mayor Don Iveson is hopeful Edmonton will snag three or four games.
“We still have a great shot though there’s more work to do to get to the finish line,” Iveson said Wednesday, following news of the winning bid.
Mayor Don Iveson is calling on the provincial government to support Edmonton in co-hosting 2026 World Cup games. (CBC)
“We know that we have the best stadium in the country,” Iveson said.
Edmonton proved its hosting abilities during the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, he said.
“We know that FIFA remembers that so I think that puts us in a really good position,” he said.
A major factor in the city’s ability to host World Cup games in 2026 is funding from the Alberta government for things like security, transportation and facilities.
“The hurdle we need to overcome is provincial support,” Iveson said. “If we could put the question of the province’s support behind us, then we can make sure that we check all the other boxes and make it to the final 16.”
Costs and potential economic impact
It’s estimated to cost each city between $30 and $50 million to host 2026 games. Cities are expected to benefit from a $170-million windfall if they end up staging three or four FIFA World Cup games.
The city and federal government are already on board with funding the matches.
Iveson said the city needs tens of millions of dollars from the province, depending on how many games the city hosts.
FIFA will want to know that the city has enough money to host the games, he said.
“The longer the province delays, the more challenging that is, the more risk is that we drop off as one of the seven cities that doesn’t get to do it.”
FIFA is set to decide the winning host cities by 2020, Iveson said.
‘Exciting times ahead’
Sophie Schmidt played on Team Canada during the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup and recalls the buzz around the stadium and the tournament.
Canadian soccer player Sophie Schmidt played in the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup and hopes Edmonton will host some games in 2026. (CBC)
Schmidt, who has played professionally in Frankfurt, Germany for four years, believes Edmonton is well-positioned to co-host the international soccer event.
“We all wanted it, our team wanted it, the country wanted it. It’s exciting times ahead.”
She said a joint Canada-USA-Mexico bid will provide challenges, “especially for transportation,” she said. “But I think it’s also exciting to see the tournament over such a vast distance and see what that will bring.”