NEWYou can now listen to Pakinomist articles!
Luke Reece never played hockey growing up in the Toronto suburb of Mississauga. Instead, he played soccer, like many Canadians who are now adults.
The sport is so popular that it has surpassed hockey and all other sports in youth participation, according to a recent report by Jumpstart, a Canadian charity that helps low-income youth play organized sports. It said half of the country’s youth participate in organized football.
Reece was one of many locals sporting Canada’s soccer gear Thursday ahead of their nation’s 2026 FIFA World Cup opener Friday against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“I wish I had tickets for the game tomorrow but I don’t,” Reece said. “I’m going to a game in Vancouver. It was cheaper to get a ticket out there.”
Is Canada about to have a soccer moment?
“It’s already taken off in this country in terms of participation. I think we all expect it to grow. These tournaments inspire so many next-generation people to find their heroes, to play the game,” said Christina Linz, president of the Women’s Northern Super League. “I think (it) will really draw the emotional connections.”
Thursday in Toronto looked like a wear-your-favorite-soccer-jersey day as the tournament opened in Mexico. Canada’s red tops, like the one worn by Reece, were among the most popular.
Toronto was a sea of red in anticipation of Friday’s Group B match between Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina. (Photo by Ezra Shaw – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
Mexico (No. 13) and the United States (No. 17), the other co-hosts of the World Cup, are each higher in FIFA’s rankings than Canada, which is in 30th place, but that means there is more to gain for the Canadians. Especially when it comes to creating passion for the sport.
Canada coach Jesse Marsch said Thursday he has “felt a real momentum behind this team and behind this moment” as Canada Soccer, the sport’s national governing body, looks to capitalize on hosting the World Cup for the first time.
“Canada has become more and more multicultural, and I think the excitement for so many different nations to be here in North America and in Canada, and to play with all the best players in the world and some of the best coaches, I think there’s real excitement behind what it’s going to be,” Marsch said.
Potentially halting the potential of Marsch’s squad is the absence of star defender striker Alphonso Davies, who has been ruled out for Friday’s game as he continues to nurse a hamstring injury sustained during Bayern Munich’s Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain on May 6.
Marsch hopes Davies will be able to return at some point in the group stage. He said Davies had an MRI on Wednesday.
Canada-related stories
“We’re getting ready to ramp things up,” Marsch said Thursday.
Davies is one of many Canada players battling injuries. Defenseman Moise Bombito is recovering from a broken leg, but Marsch said Bombito is “ready to contribute.”
Whoever is on the field for Canada is ready to make a statement and players are eager to prove their country is a soccer nation.
“Every single one of these boys is incredibly Canadian and the pride they have in putting on the jersey, representing the country and hearing the national anthem,” Marsch said. “These guys are singing the national anthem, belting it out, because they want to show the country how proud they are to be here, to be Canadian and to represent what Canada is.”
