2026 World Cup - News, Updates and discussions

[Free kick]

1 hour ago, trueviking said:

Any way you slice it, 50 year old Commonwealth Stadium, with a temporary grass pitch is not a World Cup caliber venue. But you are right. That game could not have helped the cause. 

 

1 hour ago, dyslexic nam said:

I don’t mean this in any sort of rude way, but I am not sure if this post is serious or ironic.   I say that because IMO, of course the powers-that-be would be presenting it that way (“Here’s the facility, its not ready now,  but it will be for 2026.”).  I don’t see any other way it could be presented since the surface would be replaced, infrastructure would likely be tweaked, staffing would be different, etc.   I highly doubt the folks at Commonwealth told FIFA that this was the absolute finished product, or that the FIFA officials were taking this as a final test drive.  I mean, one of the biggest complaints is about the quality of the pitch itself, and that would obviously be changed in advance of the WC.    

If anything, I think any FIFA review at this time was probably just to get a flavour for the venue and to see how the game was embraced within the city.  And if that is true, I think the CR game (pitch invaders aside) did quite well.  

What @trueviking was able to say is exactly what i was trying to say.  Except that he found a way to say it in four lines whereas i couldnt find the right worlds to do so.

if you go back to the bid book and technical reports its easy to conclude that this is the worst venue of all that is still in the running.  And by a country mile.   The mexican venues are friggin awesome,  the US venues (not quite like to the standard of mexico) are still pretty much all modern.   And (this week) we have seen and witnessed what we didnt really appreciate before.  And its these games that brought it out.

Plus there is other stuff,  like the rumors of travel issues etc etc.  This kind of stuff was actually highlighted in the fifa documents i posted here.  See the ratings sections.  

 

Edited November 14, 2021 by Free kick

[gator]

If Commonwealth is not deemed suitable, Montreal and apparently Vancouver out of consideration it leaves Toronto with 10 matches, I don't see that happening but who knows, it's just one more reason my scepticism is growing!

[Joe MacCarthy]

21 minutes ago, RS said:

It'll be a "temporary grass pitch" by absolute technicality, as the reported plans are to properly install grass (including the requisite drainage, etc.) for the entirety of 2026 and then go back to artificial turf in 2027.

Thank you for bringing some sanity back from the inanity.

And the 50 year old stadium bit is another brilliant piece of stupidity. Hmm, Rose Bowl, LA Memorial Coliseum, Olympiastadion

[SpursFlu]

With all the money literally being burned right now in this country. How ridiculous is it that in a city like Montreal or Calgary we can't get a suitable stadium. Soon Saudi Arabia or Qatar will have a flying stadiums but we can't even come up with 3 stadiums to host a World Cup. Truthfully the 2 we got barely make the cut

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

13 minutes ago, gator said:

If Commonwealth is not deemed suitable, Montreal and apparently Vancouver out of consideration...

Is Vancouver out of consideration? There have been ongoing rumblings that they might be invited back into the process and why would a stadium for the new CanPL team be mentioned as possible World Cup related infrastructure (practice facility presumably) if Vancouver has no chance of being a host city?

https://www.transfermarkt.com/vancouver-receives-cpl-expansion-side-pacific-fc-ownership-group-involved/view/news/395070

The Canadian Premier League has awarded an expansion side to SixFive Sports & Entertainment in Vancouver. The league is set to formally announce the move on Wednesday morning. The ninth club will start play in 2023 and will be based in a yet-to-be-named municipality in the Greater Vancouver area. Transfermarkt understands that several markets are being discussed but that two locations are currently the favorites to land the team and build the city's first soccer-specific stadium, which could become an important part of the 2026 FIFA World Cup infrastructure...

Edited November 14, 2021 by Ozzie_the_parrot

[narduch]

Personally think we are over analyzing all this.

In my opinion this is all a formality at this point.

Canada will use BMO Field and Commonwealth for 2026. 5 games each.

Vancouver probably came back in too late.

 

[RS]

Estadio Azteca will be 60 years old when the 2026 WC comes around. It's been renovated, of course, but it's still an old building relatively speaking.

@Free kick I'm not sure how the Mexican venues match up to the likes of SoFi Stadium and Allegiant Stadium (to name two buildings that opened within the last year), but for some reason those two venues aren't (currently) being considered.

[Admin]

< DELETED>

This problem is apparently being dealt with, and at this time no one wins from it being public.

If I didn't think it was getting fixed (even if temporarily) I would leave it up.

[Free kick]

Wow.  That’s scary.

[TGAA_Star]

1 hour ago, Watchmen said:

BC Premier Horgan talked about getting Vancouver back in to the mix, but so far that does not seem to have happened.

Then if BC doesn't throw their name into the mix, what other Canadian cities could you go to? I mean there's the nation's capital in Ottawa 

[BearcatSA]

I don't know how to describe that?!  Amateur?

Awful optics.

[Free kick]

35 minutes ago, narduch said:

Personally think we are over analyzing all this.

In my opinion this is all a formality at this point.

Canada will use BMO Field and Commonwealth for 2026. 5 games each.

Vancouver probably came back in too late.

 

True.  Maybe we are analyzing it too much given that it is pretty much a formality.  But,  as we can conclude from everything we are seeing now,  its gonna take $$$$$$.   And as far as i know, the Alberta provincial govt has yet commited anything towards this. 

so in that sence we are not over analyzing things.   

[gator]

41 minutes ago, Ozzie_the_parrot said:

Is Vancouver out of consideration? There have been ongoing rumblings that they might be invited back into the process and why would a stadium for the new CanPL team be mentioned as possible World Cup related infrastructure (practice facility presumably) if Vancouver has no chance of being a host city?

https://www.transfermarkt.com/vancouver-receives-cpl-expansion-side-pacific-fc-ownership-group-involved/view/news/395070

The Canadian Premier League has awarded an expansion side to SixFive Sports & Entertainment in Vancouver. The league is set to formally announce the move on Wednesday morning. The ninth club will start play in 2023 and will be based in a yet-to-be-named municipality in the Greater Vancouver area. Transfermarkt understands that several markets are being discussed but that two locations are currently the favorites to land the team and build the city's first soccer-specific stadium, which could become an important part of the 2026 FIFA World Cup infrastructure...

I have read all that but at this point it is speculation, what we do know is BC withdrew from the bid and the CSA was apparently not pleased, that is the official status afaik! if BC is in fact getting back into the game I would think time is a factor working against them!

[jonovision]

43 minutes ago, SpursFlu said:

With all the money literally being burned right now in this country. How ridiculous is it that in a city like Montreal or Calgary we can't get a suitable stadium. Soon Saudi Arabia or Qatar will have a flying stadiums but we can't even come up with 3 stadiums to host a World Cup. Truthfully the 2 we got barely make the cut

Stadiums are a bad investment for cities to make. If they weren't, private interests would take on these projects without relying on government money to neutralize the risk. No reasonably country should be looking to what Saudi Arabia and Qatar are doing as a model.

[Free kick]

@RS

when i was thinking of the mexican stadiums that will host 2026,  i was thinking of this

Guadalajara

 

 

Monterrey

 

 

 

I dont know if the US stadiums can match this.  These are awsome venues and they are 2026 venues.    As for us in canada,  might be best we stay low.  
 

ps.:  the reason i recall these stadium is because TFC had played in them in their CCL run in 2017.   I was thinking at the time of how they kind of put Canada to shame. 

 

 

Edited November 14, 2021 by Free kick

[RS]

4 minutes ago, Free kick said:

@RS

when i was thinking of the mexican stadiums that will host 2026,  i was thinking of this

Guadalahara

 

Right. Those are great, but they pale in comparison to Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas or SoFi in LA. Those are two of the most expensive stadiums in the world.

For some reason there are older U.S. venues in their bid, though. Why the Rose Bowl is being considered, other than purely for seating capacity, is crazy to me.

[Admin]

Just now, Free kick said:

True.  Maybe we are analyzing it too much given that it is pretty much a formality.  But,  as we can conclude from everything we are seeing now,  its gonna take $$$$$$.   And as far as i know, the Alberta provincial govt has yet commited anything towards this. 

so in that sence we are not over analyzing things.   

CFL will win.

The stadium will get an 'upgrade' for the World Cup, but in reality it will be for the CFL.

[SpursFlu]

21 minutes ago, jonovision said:

Stadiums are a bad investment for cities to make. If they weren't, private interests would take on these projects without relying on government money to neutralize the risk. No reasonably country should be looking to what Saudi Arabia and Qatar are doing as a model.

We're literally throwing away 500 million dollars a day at the moment. Is that a good investment? Just because Greasy John Oliver does a misleading comedy bit on behalf of his handlers, doesn't mean stadiums are evil

Edited November 14, 2021 by SpursFlu

[jonovision]

1 minute ago, SpursFlu said:

We're literally throwing away 500 million dollars a day at the moment. Is that a good investment? Just because Greesy John Oliver does a misleading comedy bit on behalf of his handlers, doesn't mean stadiums are evil

?

[EJsens1]

1 minute ago, jonovision said:

?

I assume that’s a shot at our federal government and CRB/CERB

[RS]

5 minutes ago, jonovision said:

?

Don't bother.

[king1010]

7 minutes ago, SpursFlu said:

We're literally throwing away 500 million dollars a day at the moment. Is that a good investment? Just because Greasy John Oliver does a misleading comedy bit on behalf of his handlers, doesn't mean stadiums are evil

Lol wrong forum. 

[Watchmen]

1 hour ago, Ozzie_the_parrot said:

Is Vancouver out of consideration? There have been ongoing rumblings that they might be invited back into the process and why would a stadium for the new CanPL team be mentioned as possible World Cup related infrastructure (practice facility presumably) if Vancouver has no chance of being a host city?

https://www.transfermarkt.com/vancouver-receives-cpl-expansion-side-pacific-fc-ownership-group-involved/view/news/395070

The Canadian Premier League has awarded an expansion side to SixFive Sports & Entertainment in Vancouver. The league is set to formally announce the move on Wednesday morning. The ninth club will start play in 2023 and will be based in a yet-to-be-named municipality in the Greater Vancouver area. Transfermarkt understands that several markets are being discussed but that two locations are currently the favorites to land the team and build the city's first soccer-specific stadium, which could become an important part of the 2026 FIFA World Cup infrastructure...

When Horgan pulled Vancouver from the bid, he discussed still wanting to have "training/practice facilities here" during the World Cup and hoping teams would use the city as a base of operations.  So that would be unrelated to whether Vancouver is back in the running or not.

[gator]

We saw first hand the politics of stadium building in Hamilton, Tim Hortons Field was built to host soccer events for the Pan Am Games, tax dollars from all levels were used to fund the construction yet the Tiger Cats had huge influence on where it was built even though they had no money in the game! Hamilton city council caved and moved the preferred location on the waterfront to the existing site after the Tiger Cats threatened to move out of Hamilton if they didn't get their way! Council was stupid or naive enough to fall for this threat, if there was another viable location for a CFL franchise anywhere else in Canada do you not think a team would be playing out of there? The Ticats acted like they had the branding and following of the Dallas Cowboys and it worked!

[Free kick]

24 minutes ago, gator said:

We saw first hand the politics of stadium building in Hamilton, Tim Hortons Field was built to host soccer events for the Pan Am Games, tax dollars from all levels were used to fund the construction yet the Tiger Cats had huge influence on where it was built even though they had no money in the game! Hamilton city council caved and moved the preferred location on the waterfront to the existing site after the Tiger Cats threatened to move out of Hamilton if they didn't get their way! Council was stupid or naive enough to fall for this threat, if there was another viable location for a CFL franchise anywhere else in Canada do you not think a team would be playing out of there? The Ticats acted like they had the branding and following of the Dallas Cowboys and it worked!

Its also worth noting that (i am not 100%) the pictures i posted of those two mexican venues i believe were all entirely privately financed stadiums.   Which might lead some to wonder which country (Canada or Mexico) is the first world nation. 

Edited November 14, 2021 by Free kick