First, is it actually a bidding process? Maybe it is and I've just missed them, but I've never seen or heard any announcements about who is bidding and how CONCACAF has selected so-and-so's bid. Second, given the disparity between the US and all other nations in CONCACAF, a straight money-only bidding process isn't a useful way to go unless the only goal is to give the tournament to the US every time.
I agree up till know that is very true but with all signs pointing to a very successful Womens World cup. Several stadiums between 20 to 50K plus already having or will be having natural grass and the ability to place temp grass at Vancouver, Commonwealth and Olympic which will be able to have larger semi and championship capacities influence or not variety is what FIFA sponsored events are looking for and Canada will have even more new venues that could place temp grass if needed.
How many stadiums would you need to host a Gold Cup? Last time USA used 13 stadiums but I am sure that is a case of "cause we can" and 13 stadiums for a 12 team 25 match tournament is not absolutely necessary. It is a fairly important question for any potential Canadian bid because the tournament is typically in July...no? The CFL schedule is well under way by that point and their stadiums may be difficult to commandeer. Suitable stadiums not used for CFL include BMO (currently), Saputo, Olympic and.......?
I beleive the gold Cup was held in June also but yes mostly in July. The WWC will be in june only disodging CFL clubs for TC and pre season games but the reward to the city is more than good enough to have CFL teams hold training camp and even a pre season game elsewhere. Vanouver and Edmonton would be the most incocvienienced as pool play could be done at other veneus after two weeks similar to IGF in Winnipeg in the WWC but the knockout rounds would be moved to the bigger cities and bigger stadiums Commonwealth and BC Place. Montreal not affected with games at Olympic and CFL plays regular and pre season games at the McGill Campus stadium
But for it to happen they would most probably have to invest in grass surfaces right? or did some US matches happen on Turf?
As far as I can remember games were matches were played on pitches with Natural Grass surfaces. Those venues with field turf had temp grass placed on the pitch for the gold cup matches. The US has the venues with Natural Grass and the $$$ to place temp grass onto the bigger and/or newer venues. Canada would likely need to do the same to be considered which is now very well within reason. Natural Grass pitches now or in the very near future. Moncton 20K, Saputo, 20K, BMO 30K, 40K expanded, Rogers Center 55K. Largest potential venues used that would nee temp grass. BC place 55K plus, Commonwealth 60K plus, Olympic 66K plus. Other potential venues. TD Place Ottawa, 24K, 40K expanded. THF Hamilton 24K, 40K expanded, IGF Winnipeg 33K, 40K expanded. All would need temp grass. Near future venue Regina 33K, 40K expanded also needing temp grass. Canada now has the new infrastructure of venues to easily host such an event as the Gold cup with a venue in each region from coast to coast.
You're not going to see anybody going to the expense of installing a temporary turf field for the Gold Cup. It just doesn't have the profile amongst the average fan in Canada to encourage the additional expense. Not sure if it has been completed but Moncton is no longer a turf surface, it's been dug up and has been (or soon will be) replaced with an artificial surface for the WWC. There's no way they will allow anybody to play at the Rogers Centre during the baseball regular season and that includes NFL. Post baseball season only.
Also, you don't have to list all the stadiums in the country, I would imagine all of us reading this thread know them
Thought, I'd post a pic of the "new Halifax stadium" from an angle I haven't seen before. Wait a minute Halifax doesn't have a stadium, hmm
I've followed Halifax's stadium travails very closely in recent years. Every so often there are signs of renewed interest, but they are allways illusaury. But CFL seems to prefer Halfax over Moncton. Despite it's more central location, the substantially smaller city and infrastructure is not as attractive. I would imagine the CSA feels the same. Moncton put in a relatively small amount of money to have their stadium, and they have been richly rewarded with small and medium sized events. But in the context of larger projects that history means exactly nothing.
The further time moves along the more a pro stadium in Halifax is seen as much more than just a veneu for a CFL team as was much the perception for years. The fact that Saint Mary's Huskies stadium was still usuable for many years when all this started back in the 80's is no longer true and SMU is finding that funding for a stadium on campus to meet the higher standards of some of the other CIS stadiums is not there. As for the siaze of a veneu being much too large for a CIS football game and other CIS championship events there are now ways to turn a 25K seat stadium into a smaller 7-10K veneu as they are being built to change the set ups. Halifax has missed out on events in Canada before due to the lack of a stadium but never something to the level as the FIFA WWC. A Grey Cup just over a decade ago was seen as a losing investment for a city now is a huge money maker for the city and growing bigger and does not look to stop anytime soon. Also with more and more Euro Clubs coming to train in the US/North America. Halifax sits the closest point from Europe to North America and with some organization could be a nice starting and ending point for clubs coming and leaving North America after their month of atraining and touring.
Not sure how a stadium with an artificial surface and miniscule European club soccer fanbase would enter into that, but hey, live the dream. You post some strange shizzle bro
Reviving this thread because today it was announced that we will be co bidding for the World Cup with the U.S. and Mexio. The most important thing for me to come out of this will be that we, Canada, will have a deadline. If we get an automatic slot, that means that nine years from now we will be in the World Cup whether we're ready or not. The media outlets that typically don't cover the MNT will hopefully ramp up their coverage in the years leading up to 2026. We need this to happen because if we want to be competitive, much less make it to the round of 32, we need to get better. The forces that are prohibiting the development of better players need to be exposed, whatever and whomever they are. "Sunlight is the best disinfectant" as they say. The World Cup is soccer's biggest exam and we have nine years to prepare. There should be no more excuses for procrastinating or cramming. The knuckle draggers, the people who don't want soccer to be more than a recreational sport, the people blocking standards based leagues, etc. must finally be exposed and eliminated. God forbid if we show up hungover in our pajamas to this thing.
So in 2026 CONCACAF gets 6+1 slots and the AQ host slot, So the US and MX are shoot-ins. Can Canada get the AQ Host slot?
Personally, as I have already posted previously, I think we're going to qualify for 2022 because of the trajectory Canadian soccer is on. With the expanded format, I don't see that we wouldn't qualify for 2026 even if this bid fails and we don't get an automatic host spot. So, while I certainly don't see us winning the World Cup or anything, I don't think we need to worry about not belonging there in 2026.
Apparently all the games from the quarterfinals on will be in the US, which to me is a little disappointing. Doesn't really make us co-hosts as much as it is just throwing plucky little Canada a bone. It will be essentially be the US as hosts, with Canada and Mexico on board for political reasons. We should not get automatic qualification for this. We should have to earn our way in.
I thought for QF and above you need a 60K stadium with permanent grass. Canada doesn't have one of those and I'm not sure the Government would kick in to build it in Toronto. 10 games would be 9 group stage games in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver and one round of 32. Perhaps we could quibble a little for a couple of more games. I don't think the portions are set in stone. Honestly I would like to have seen a 15-15-50 split, but I guess they want profits most of all. CONCACAF is going to have 6 spots in 2026, so giving 3 or 2+1 spots to the hosts would still leave 3-4 spots available for the rest. That's a decent amount for a federation of 35 members.
I'm okay with the number of games we'd be getting. On a per capita basis we'd be hosting more games than the other two countries. I just think that to be a true co-host, we should have one of the semi-final matches. Commonwealth Stadium is big enough, and in nine years could be refurbished enough to be up to snuff.
I'd also like to see Canada and Mexico get at least a few more of the games. The US could certainly host solo, in which case we'd get no games IF they won the bid. I imagine the bid is more palatable as a joint bid, however, so perhaps the US is trading away some games for a better shot at winning the bid at all. What I'm curious about, and haven't seen any mention of anywhere, is the financial splitting. Hosting the World Cup is normally a big financial win for the host association. So how much of a cash infusion will the CSA see from this?
You mean like infrastructure? It would not surprise me if only 1-2 new stadiums were built as a result of this bid and all of them were in Canada. If you're talking about preparing the bid itself, it should probably cost less than any other in recent history given that they might not have any competition and thus, would not need to pay bribes.