2026 World Cup - News, Updates and discussions

[An Observer]

33 minutes ago, SthMelbRed said:

Of course, Vancouver is famously mono-cultural in its makeup. 😄 

Vancouver is no where near as multicultural as Toronto and the dominant immigrant groups are not soccer playing countries 

[SthMelbRed]

2 minutes ago, An Observer said:

Vancouver is no where near as multicultural as Toronto and the dominant immigrant groups are not soccer playing countries 

You mean you actually want to double down on the stupidity?

[red card]

2 hours ago, An Observer said:

Vancouver is no where near as multicultural as Toronto and the dominant immigrant groups are not soccer playing countries 

They do like to watch. India was one of the top 10 ticket buyers for Qatar. China has been in the past but their tight covid restrictions limited buyers for Qatar.

[An Observer]

2 hours ago, SthMelbRed said:

You mean you actually want to double down on the stupidity?

Yep. I stand by my comments. I guess you are doubling down on your stupidity though

[An Observer]

25 minutes ago, red card said:

They do like to watch. India was one of the top 10 ticket buyers for Qatar. China has been in the past but their tight covid restrictions limited buyers for Qatar.

India was super close to Qatar and there were a huge number of Indian citizens working in the country, buying tickets and inflating the numbers.  Plus there are 1.4billion Indians. I suspect a few prefer soccer over cricket but the bulk including those living in Vancouver would not be big soccer supporters. 
The same goes for China. I live in Hong Kong and I am well aware there are soccer supporters here but they tend to support one of the large premiership sides and could give a fuck about Ghana vs New Zealand. 
My point is not that Vancouver wouldn’t support the World Cup as I suspect every match will be sold out for the next World Cup where ever it’s played due in one part to the large travelling support and then just local interest including within Vancouver.  But spare me the insults of one of you on here as Vancouver doesn’t come close to Toronto in the extent of diverse immigrant populations that would get out to support their home nation in numbers at a World Cup.  

[SthMelbRed]

4 hours ago, An Observer said:

Yep. I stand by my comments. I guess you are doubling down on your stupidity though

Standing by your comments doesn't make them any more assinine.

[Free kick]

19 hours ago, red card said:

They do like to watch. India was one of the top 10 ticket buyers for Qatar. China has been in the past but their tight covid restrictions limited buyers for Qatar.

One of the big take aways from Qatar was the sheer size people supporting certain nations who were not from those countries.  For example, one of the largest group (judging from jersey's worn) was Argentina.   But how many people wearing those jerseys were from Argentina?    I would submit that the prohibitive factors like:

1) Travel distance between Buenos Aires and Doha

2) The rampant economic problems that Argentina faces with Inflation resulting in the devaluation of domestic currency makes the costs of foreign travel, and such a trip, insane.  If not impossible.  

What we saw is the people wearing those jersey's were mostly non Argentinians and from areas of the world where the FC Barcelona brand is very strong hence driving the popularity of Lionel Messi.  I am thinking of the middle east and South Asia.   I could cite tons of examples of this from all over the world.   It made me re think (a little)  the way that I now view the issues of foreign Support in Canadian stadiums.   I don't view this as much as a Canadian problem like I used to.

Edited March 5, 2023 by Free kick

[Redpunkfiddle]

On 3/3/2023 at 1:30 PM, Obinna said:

Mentions teams playing in regional pods, but Canada is going to play in Toronto and Vancouver, not just one (at least I imagine).

Also, a lot of concern and complaints about CO2 and travel. The biggest irony, besides the irony that CO2 is a nutrient (photosynthesis), not a pollutant, is that FIFA are the ones who approved a continent-wide, North American World Cup in the first place. 😄

What does CO2 do? Is it evil? No. It's fruitful. It multiples. It feeds and protects its children. And it secures its future with violence if it must.

It loves.

Looking forward to the next generation of scientific debate here as we head to 2026.

 

[An Observer]

22 hours ago, SthMelbRed said:

Standing by your comments doesn't make them any more assinine.

I am more than happy to have a discussion about my comments, be opened to be convinced otherwise and thereby stand to be corrected.  All you seem to bring is insults.  Glad there is an ignore function on this board.  Goodbye!

[Free kick]

CONCACAF to start 2026 World Cup qualifying in March 2024 (yahoo.com)

Concacaf announces formats for men’s national team competitions for the 2023-2026 cycle

Concacaf unveils its qualifying format for 2026 WC.

Edited March 6, 2023 by Free kick

[Free kick]

On 2/11/2023 at 1:17 PM, Free kick said:

2026 FIFA World Cup: Vancouver's early preparation underway | Calgary Herald

Quote: " Experts say Vancouver's sport facilities and transportation systems will be ready in time for the global soccer tournament in 2026. Increasing hotel capacity will be more difficult."

 

 

Quote:" Vancouver’s transportation system will be well-positioned to handle the event, May said, and adding extra rapid-bus service as needed should be relatively straightforward.

Increasing hotel capacity is not so easy.

Before COVID-19, Metro Vancouver’s tourism and business leaders were raising alarms about what they called a serious hotel room shortage. And then the region lost hotel rooms during the pandemic, after governments purchased hotels to turn them into social housing.

“To continue the support and growth of major events, we’ve got to find a way to get more hotel rooms … We don’t have enough rooms downtown,” May said. “It’s an issue for us, it isn’t just an issue for FIFA.”

 

 

 

 

 

Here is another story highlighting the issue of hotel room shortages for Vancouver in 2026

https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.6770086
 

Edited March 8, 2023 by Free kick

[Ottawafan]

19 hours ago, Free kick said:

Here is another story highlighting the issue of hotel room shortages for Vancouver in 2026

https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.6770086
 

Tents in the mountains?

[SpursFlu]

Vancouver... 10 pounds of shit meets 8 pound bag

It's a lost cause plus they say this everytime. Yes there's a shortage of places to take shelter only when big events come to town. That's why students live in broom closets and there's 2 sets of refugee families living in the basement of that house that for some reason is worth 2.5 million dollars.. but hey look at those mountains 

Edited March 8, 2023 by SpursFlu

[johnyb]

22 hours ago, Free kick said:

Here is another story highlighting the issue of hotel room shortages for Vancouver in 2026

https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.6770086
 

2 words...Cruise Ships!

[SthMelbRed]

On 3/8/2023 at 6:57 AM, Free kick said:

Here is another story highlighting the issue of hotel room shortages for Vancouver in 2026

https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.6770086
 

Look, I've not lived in Vancouver for the best part of 20 years, and I stay with family during my regular visits home, so this may be something that those that do live locally may know. What happened to all the hotel rooms that successfully housed all the Olympic visitors 13 years ago?

[Free kick]

7 minutes ago, SthMelbRed said:

Look, I've not lived in Vancouver for the best part of 20 years, and I stay with family during my regular visits home, so this may be something that those that do live locally may know. What happened to all the hotel rooms that successfully housed all the Olympic visitors 13 years ago?

The pandemic cause a lot of operators to close up shop.  And never re opened.  That's what was mentioned in the local media, in the other article i posted on this topic.

Now that I think about it.   I recall looking for rooms in YVR for the WCQ match vs Hon back in the 2018.   There were rooms yes,  but my recollection was there wasn't a great abundance (comparatively speaking).  And what was available, from what i recall, was very over priced for what you could comparatively pay elsewhere in other US cities for example..  

[SoccMan]

8 hours ago, Free kick said:

The pandemic cause a lot of operators to close up shop.  And never re opened.  That's what was mentioned in the local media, in the other article i posted on this topic.

Now that I think about it.   I recall looking for rooms in YVR for the WCQ match vs Hon back in the 2018.   There were rooms yes,  but my recollection was there wasn't a great abundance (comparatively speaking).  And what was available, from what i recall, was very over priced for what you could comparatively pay elsewhere in other US cities for example..  

I was in Vancouver this past summer in August and had no problem finding a hotel room . In terms of pricing didn’t think it was any different than any of our big cities here in Canada . However, if the World Cup brings in the expected amount of people it normally brings to cities that host they could have a problem with supply , but I think a lot of cities would have a problem with such a high demand for accommodation I would imagine.

[Metro]

So, it looks like with the amendment of 4 teams to a group, the World Cup will increase by 40 games.  Surely more games for Vancouver and Toronto:

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/12833525/world-cup-2026-tournament-to-increase-by-40-matches-to-104-fixtures-as-part-of-48-team-expansion

[Watchmen]

Still, if I'm Edmonton I'm on the phone with everyone.

[RJB]

Can't wait for those round of 32 matchups.  Think of every team in Qatar that didn't make it out of the groups, and put them in a knockout match. 

Also, think of a team that didn't make Qatar that really deserved to be there.  Can you think of one? Maybe Italy, but after them?  Now think of 16!

Honestly, this tournament is going to be a let down now they've let in such low quality teams. 

[narduch]

Just now, RJB said:

Can't wait for those round of 32 matchups.  Think of every team in Qatar that didn't make it out of the groups, and put them in a knockout match. 

Also, think of a team that didn't make Qatar that really deserved to be there.  Can you think of one? Maybe Italy, but after them?  Now think of 16!

Honestly, this tournament is going to be a let down now they've let in such low quality teams. 

It's going to end up being tedious 

[Watchmen]

3 minutes ago, RJB said:

Can't wait for those round of 32 matchups.  Think of every team in Qatar that didn't make it out of the groups, and put them in a knockout match. 

Also, think of a team that didn't make Qatar that really deserved to be there.  Can you think of one? Maybe Italy, but after them?  Now think of 16!

Honestly, this tournament is going to be a let down now they've let in such low quality teams. 

Columbia and Chile. Norway, with Haaland.

We just watched Saudi Arabia upset Argentina, Japan top a group of Spain and Germany, and Morocco advance to the semi-finals. Upsets happen and the difference between the best and worst teams is narrower than it used to be.

And 64 team make March Madness every year, some of poor quality. It doesn't impact the tournament, but it means a lot to the smaller schools.

[Shway]

2 minutes ago, narduch said:

It's going to end up being tedious 

This is a perfect word. 
I suspect viewership, and maybe attendance will be down for some games, but because it's more games it will have all-time most views and attendance. 

Bring on the Toronto game package of Canada vs Saudi Arabia, Zimbawe vs Peru, and Japan vs North Macdeonia all for the nice price of $1500!

[Approve My Account Pls]

2 hours ago, RJB said:

Can't wait for those round of 32 matchups.  Think of every team in Qatar that didn't make it out of the groups, and put them in a knockout match. 

Also, think of a team that didn't make Qatar that really deserved to be there.  Can you think of one? Maybe Italy, but after them?  Now think of 16!

Honestly, this tournament is going to be a let down now they've let in such low quality teams. 

Thinking of a few off the top of my head I'd think: Italy, Russia, Columbia, Chile, Scotland, Sweden, Norway, Turkey, Nigeria, Algeria, Egypt, you can definitely make an argument for a couple more

So overall I'd argue that the additional European, South American, and African teams are at the very least the same level as most 2022 pot 3/4 teams. It's with Asia, Concacaf, and I guess Oceania that I think we see the biggest drop in quality

[kacbru]

How about we wait until we show we're capable of getting a result at a WC before we start complaining about all of these scrub teams that will be joining.