World Cup 2026: A Goal for North American Cooperation

The 2026 World Cup is the largest tournament in history, featuring 48 nations and a total of 104 matches across three countries and 16 cities. The United States will host 78 matches in 11 cities, while Canada and Mexico will each host 13. Mexico's matches will be held in Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey, while Canada's matches will take place in Vancouver and Toronto.

Amid the uncertain future of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) due to President Donald Trump's trade war and ongoing negotiations, the World Cup could serve as a lesson in cooperation among Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Initially, each country considered a separate bid, but FIFA's sharp increase in participating nations from 32 to 48 galvanized the U.S., Canada, and Mexico to present a unified joint bid.

In April 2017, just three months after President Donald Trump took office and as negotiations to revise the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) were about to begin, Canada, Mexico, and the United States announced a joint bid for the 2026 World Cup. A year later, at the 68th FIFA Congress in Moscow, the North American bid easily defeated Morocco, making Canada, Mexico, and the United States the first trio of nations to co-host a World Cup.

At the time, few imagined that when the 2026 World Cup took place, the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) would be at risk of review, while the international trade environment would be overshadowed by growing tensions and instability. Another looming threat to the World Cup is the Ebola outbreak rapidly spreading in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, prompting the Canadian government to impose restrictions on travel and immigration from several Central African nations.

However, despite trade tensions and public health concerns, if successful, the 2026 World Cup will demonstrate that Canada, Mexico, and the United States can still work together. More importantly for Canada, hosting 13 matches will draw immense global media attention, thereby enhancing its image and prestige.

Like Mexico and the United States, as the host nation, the Canadian national football team automatically qualifies for the World Cup, marking their third appearance in history. At the 2022 World Cup, Canada qualified for the first time in 36 years but lost all three matches (against Belgium, Croatia, and Morocco).

This year, Canada will play in Group B alongside Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar, and Switzerland. With a relatively soft list of opponents, Canada truly has a chance to secure its first ever World Cup victory and even advance to the knockout stage.