Could Canada host a World Cup?

FIFA has said there will never be another co-hosted World Cup.

Canada is one of about 25 countries who could host the World Cup, but they will be up against the USA as well as Mexico every time they bid for it, and they have little chance.

 

No Canada could not host a world cup unless somehow Soccer become the biggest sport here and knocks off hockey, therefore moving the investors money to Soccer and getting big stadiums built all over the country.

 

I wouldn't say we would have little chance. What is usually wanted by sporting bodies (FIFA, IOC) are safe, secure events with good facilities. That is what Canada can deliver.

It makes me laugh when I see posts (must be real young guys) who say we can't host a World Cup. They must not know their country's history. Big events are what we specialize in. How many countries will have hosted three Olympics? Not too many.

Will we go crazy and build white elephant facilities like Japoerea? No, we learned our lesson in Montreal 1976 and LA 1984 benefitted from that. Could we refurbish six stadiums and maybe build two or three new ones. Most definately, the timing would be right as our sporting infrastructure is due for some government spending in the next decade. Will the govt provide all the monies to accomplish this? No. Private enterprise would have to come on board.

Personally I think we provide a far better environment for a big event than US or Mexico (just on security alone) And if you don't think that's important take a look at the percentage security is of a big event's budget.

We have the know how, we have the money but just like the Toronto stadium kerfuffle, we just need the will.

I don't think there are too many countries that will go crazy spending wise like they did in Japorea. Even before refurbishment our stadiums aren't too shabby in comparison to others around the world. The problem is they don't have turf in the middle of them (save Edmonton)

Here is the CSA World Cup Feasibility Study (.pdf)
A full report on the Economic Feasibility Study about Canada hosting a FIFA World Cup. It could use a little more dough perhaps but still highly feasible given all the other things Canada has to offer. See above.

http://www.canadasoccer.com/eng/docs/wcstudy-eng.pdf

 

I've got nothing against Canada going for a WC. No one thought the USA could do it. I'm in that camp for Canada, but let's see how a bid goes with FIFA. Maybe you could shock the world.

What I don't like is the co-host with USA idea. What would the benifit for the US be? Why should the tournament be spread out more than it already would be? We could pretty easily come up with a venue for each first round group and need the soccer stadiums.

 

I think Canada would be a good host and has a decent shot especially if anti-American sentiment is high like it is now. Mexico is viewed as corrupt, with a weak currency and lacking the infrastructure to support a modern world cup (I know they've had 2 in the past and did fine). If CONCACAF is really going to get one in 2022 or whenever I'd say you have a good shot.

 

I thought you need to have a professional league in order to host the World Cup.

 

You mean like USA '94? (I'm assuming you mean first division, because there's no way Canada doesn't at least have semi-pro.)

 

If USA94 is any indication, the establishment of a first division league would probably one of the conditions of getting the World Cup. I wouldn't object to a Canadian bid, never have. However, it would have a tall order going up against American and Mexican bids.

 

To host a world cup, you need modern 50000+ stadiums... most of the canadians that can afford it will rather invest in hockey or baseball stadiums, where they can make more money.

 

Really so our team is out of World Cup contetion, We dont have a 1st division league stadiums arent poping up here and there every year. Yeah I think theyre in the same boat.

 

Yeah but USA got it because they promised FIFA that they would develop a league and hence MLS was formed.

 

1 Stade Felix-Bollaert Lens 35000
2 Le Stade de France St.Denis 80000
3 Le Parc de Princes Paris 49000
4 La Beaujoire Nantes 39500
5 Parc Lescure Bordeaux 36500
6 Stadium Municipal Toulouse 37500
7 La Musson Montpellier 35000
8 Stade-Velodrome Marseille 60000
9 Stade Geoffrey-Guichard St.Etienne 36000
10 Le Stade Gerland Lyon 32000

Don't let the reality door hit you on the way out.

 

Now play nice But thanks for saving me the trouble of looking it up. Also check the size of the stadiums in Holland for the WYC. Not too big.

Here are the stadiums for the U20 WYC played this year. The comparable Canadian stadiums proposed for 2007 are almost twice the size.

Doetinchem - capacity 11,000 Vijverberg stadium
Emmen - capacity 8,600 Emmen stadium
Enschede - capacity 13,500 Enschede stadium
Kerkrade - capacity 19,500 The Parkstad Limberg stadium
Tilburg - capacity 14,800 The Willem 2 stadium
Utrecht - capacity 24,900 Galgenwaard stadium

We seem to have this stadium hangup where we don't think we can match the world. A lot of famous European stadiums (aside from the biggest clubs) aren't all that big. Hibs and Hearts in Scotland play at stadiums about the size of the proposed Saputo complex (expanded version).
http://www.stadiumguide.com/index.htm

Like I said before the only thing we don't have is grass growing in the middle. The CSA World Cup plan details what we have now and how it would be refurbished. And after cleaning some of them up ie Ivor Wynne they just add temporary seating a la Grey Cup.

And before anyone says anything about a FIFA rule against temporary seating just remember these are usually guidelines that are probably for safety concerns in Third World countries. There was supposed to be a FIFA rule against FieldTurf but we played a WCQ on it at Saprissa and they did have a turf field available.

 

Anyone who thinks we can host a worldcup is only fooling themselves. There is no chance even with refurbished American Football Stadiums will we get the World Cup. Only reason we got the WYC 07 is because we're the only country that actually bid on it!

 

You know nothing. Really you dont.

Canada could have no problem hosting the World Cup.

 

Perhaps you can explain to petersoccer and me how Canada (which has hosted and will host three Olympics, The World Athletics Championships, the best World's Fair of the 20th century and just about every other big name event) save the World Cup could not stage the World Cup of Soccer. You will not see the fiscal insanity of Japorea again.

Well after reading that post and hearing Bruno Hartrell on Inside Soccer, it is pretty easy to discern why the Lynx are such a poor organization.

And it's Canadian football by the way.

 

It was already studied in the CSA World Cup report, which stadiums that were tight for space and would need a few rows taken out and which stadiums that were ok. The days of spending excess are over. Canada would provide a safe environment for a World Cup, that's a big consideration in these times.

I've posted previously about Winnipeg looking at a new stadium,
http://www.network54.com/Forum/message?forumid=4693&messageid=1103654383

Taylor Field has a plan in the works for a major overhaul, there may be a new stadium in Halifax in the forseeable future and we are due to land a Commonwealth Games in the next bidding go round.

 

I really don't see us every hosting a World Cup in my lifetime, not that i wouldn't like to see one here. The reason America got the '94 WC was because of money. Fifa wanted both american advertising dollars and an increases in interest in the USA. For these same reasons I think when it comes back to North America again, it will also go back to america. I have no facts to back it up, but time after time I have read, that the '94 WC was the best attended in history. I don't think that we can compete against the USA for hosting rights. I mean I really hope I'm wrong, but we will see.

Also the WorldCup seems to be getting progressively expensive to host. France had to build the Stade de France to host the games. The japan/korean WC needed half a dozen brand new stadiums. The upcoming Germany World Cup has several brand new stadiums. This is the main problem with the report written a few years about the possibility of hosting a WC. It had ridiculously low dollar values for touching up the CFL stadiums. If we were to host the World Cup, I think we would need five or six new stadiums, and some really drastic upgrades to the others. Take BC Place, here where I am in Vancouver, I remember the report mentioned that only something like $20k would be needed to fix it up. Totally lowball, the stadium would need a new roof (as in new fabric, not new structure), and to replace all the really uncomfortable seats. I'm guessing $10-20m would be more accurate.

I would like to see Canada maybe get some smaller fifa events. I would love to see the Club World Tournament, or the Confederation Cup (if they again de-link it from World cup hosts) in Canada. On the Vancouver Southside Board we have been talking about hosting a European Pre-season Tournament

 

Totally agree but what bothers me are people suggesting we are not capable of it which is ridiculous. Who knows what we will see in the next 20 years. Any new stadiums built will likely not exceed 35,000 seats. We will be getting three new stadiums in the next two years. Temporary arrangements can be made however.

Again though, look at Daniel's post at the top of the page re the France capacities. Unless you're in Japan, you're not going to get 60,000 to watch Senegal vs Japan.