2026 World Cup - News, Updates and discussions

[dyslexic nam]

23 minutes ago, frmr said:

Not gonna lie, I'd much rather have a boozed up weekend in Vancouver in four years time than Edmonton...

This is coming from someone who lives in Alberta.

Yeah but I have a free place to crash in Edmonton, so…

[Mattd97]

2 minutes ago, dyslexic nam said:

Yeah but I have a free place to crash in Edmonton, so…

To be fair, the rest of us can just buy a house for the weekend.  I've got a couple dozen dollars to spend. 

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

1 hour ago, ShaneC06 said:

I think this all but eliminates Edmonton. Commonwealth needs too much work (mainly in hospitality areas) to be put in the same conversation as B.C. Place and BMO....

...and how often do you see a running track at a World Cup venue? Something built for an athletics event in the late 1970s is not the format they normally look for.

[narduch]

2 minutes ago, Ozzie_the_parrot said:

...and how often do you see a running track at a World Cup venue? Something built for an athletics event in the late 1970s is not the format they normally look for.

Quite a few venues at last year's Euros did 

[Free kick]

32 minutes ago, Nored said:

Some additional information about the Edmonton bid from Steven Sandor. 

https://edifyedmonton.com/urban/structures/city-councillor-federal-tourism-minister-weigh-in-on-edmontons-world-cup-hopes/

I read that article and leads me to believe that quite honestly the demands by the Alberta govt are a poison pill.  FIFA doesn’t want to to hear about who Alberta considers is a marquee matchup.  That will be decided by the draw in four years time.    Asking for a marquee matchup is really naive. Edmonton is really shooting themselves in the foot with these restriction. 

Edited April 14, 2022 by Free kick

[Free kick]

21 minutes ago, narduch said:

Quite a few venues at last year's Euros did 

Well I didn’t see all the Euro games.  But I don’t recall any having a track.

edit:  disregard this post.   I am not certain of this.

Edited April 14, 2022 by Free kick

[narduch]

16 minutes ago, Free kick said:

Well I didn’t see all the Euro games.  But I don’t recall any having a track

Without even looking it up, they used the Olimpico in Rome. That stadium has a running track.

And the one in Azerbaijan had a running track too.

Edit: also Hampden Park in Scotland 

Edited April 14, 2022 by narduch

[mowe]

This has to be completely unprecedented for FIFA to allow a city to re-enter the bid process 4 years (!) after dropping out.

To me it’s a sure sign they weren’t happy with the Edmonton visit. That’s the only thing that changed recently.

They probably didn’t want to have give 5 games to a “weaker” venue/city. Now they can have a 3-3-4 split or most likely just shut out Edmonton entirely. 

[TGAA_Star]

Unless Toronto and Vancouver are the only 2 cities because then in that scenario then I actually would like that better 

[Rougeisthecolour]

2 hours ago, Ozzie_the_parrot said:

...and how often do you see a running track at a World Cup venue? Something built for an athletics event in the late 1970s is not the format they normally look for.

Well ......I recall from the 2007 U20 World Cup that at least Commonweath has washrooms. BMO is terribly short on that simple amenity. What long lines at the Jamiaca match a few weeks back. Build some washroom capacity BMO, we are Canadians, we drink $18 beer at soccer matches when it's -14C with the windchill.

[ESG Shawn]

2 hours ago, Ozzie_the_parrot said:

...and how often do you see a running track at a World Cup venue? Something built for an athletics event in the late 1970s is not the format they normally look for.

For what its worth, Canada will be playing at a stadium with a track in November....

[SpursFlu]

I dont really want to crap on Edmonton. But if you consider everything about Edmonton including the stadium, it's really not the most attractive host city when you consider you're choosing from all of North America. If there was a new state of the art stadium I could see it but other than we need to find another place in Canada that can provide the bare minimum there really isn't any selling features for Edmonton. Sorry folks

[Free kick]

Stadium issues can all be fixed with money.   What cannot be fixed with money are deltas about Edmonton that came up in the Appendix sections of of the technical evaluations way back when.    Things like accommodations and Transportation.   And, the need (for WC2026) to cluster cities within groups so as to minimize the travel and travel inconveniences for visitors.   There are very few hotels in Edmonton and very few direct flights (excluding cross boarder) to international destinations.   These are things that you cant fix with money.   Had the stadium been a state of the art facility with the ideal surface and capacity requirements, then it might have helped the bid but they would still have had  to look at those other factors that I mentioned.  

Lets remember, initially there were four Canadian cities bidding for three hosting spots.  And at the time of the inspection, There was only Edmonton and Toronto left.     

This doesn't mean that the bid is dead.  We really don't know and it wouldn't surprise me if they still name all three as hosts.  That was the initial intention.   But if it doesnt materialize then i would look at these factor that i mentioned above as to why it didnt happen and why they let Vancouver back into the bidding process, as much or more so than the stadium factors.  

Edited April 14, 2022 by Free kick

[Redpunkfiddle]

1 hour ago, Rougeisthecolour said:

Well ......I recall from the 2007 U20 World Cup that at least Commonweath has washrooms. BMO is terribly short on that simple amenity. What long lines at the Jamiaca match a few weeks back. Build some washroom capacity BMO, we are Canadians, we drink $18 beer at soccer matches when it's -14C with the windchill.

From what I saw, the concourse and washroom access for the Edmonton CanMNT games was nothing to write home about. If such is your taste at halftime.

Is there any large stadium that doesn't have long line ups when it is full?

[Joe MacCarthy]

34 minutes ago, Free kick said:

Stadium issues can all be fixed with money.   What cannot be fixed with money are deltas about Edmonton that came up in the Appendix sections of of the technical evaluations way back when.    Things like accommodations and Transportation.   And, the need (for WC2026) to cluster cities within groups so as to minimize the travel and travel inconveniences for visitors.   There are very few hotels in Edmonton and very few direct flights (excluding cross boarder) to international destinations.   These are things that you cant fix with money.   Had the stadium been a state of the art facility with the ideal surface and capacity requirements, then it might have helped the bid but they would still have had  to look at those other factors that I mentioned.  

Lets remember, initially there were four Canadian cities bidding for three hosting spots.  And at the time of the inspection, There was only Edmonton and Toronto left.     

This doesn't mean that the bid is dead.  We really don't know and it wouldn't surprise me if they still name all three as hosts.  That was the initial intention.   But if it doesnt materialize then i would look at these factor that i mentioned above as to why it didnt happen and why they let Vancouver back into the bidding process, as much or more so than the stadium factors.  

I agree with this. 

But the narrative (usually without any detail) about Commonwealth not being up to snuff or that it can be made to be is bullshit (you don't hear any of that about BC Place or especially BMO).  There is something we are not being told.  I totally agree with Freekick about stadium issues being solvable and other things (like travel and  transportation) being  important.  But have we forgotten this city has hosted huge events and hosted them sufficient time ago that probably tens of hotels etc have been built.

I get the WC is biggest event in the world but it is spread out over several cities.  How many athletes and fans will descend on Edmonton?  Is it really that many more than the Commonwealth Games or the IIAF championships.  The WC is obviously culturally bigger but is it logistically bigger when it comes to athletes, officials and fans?

[Joe MacCarthy]

1 hour ago, SpursFlu said:

I dont really want to crap on Edmonton. But if you consider everything about Edmonton including the stadium, it's really not the most attractive host city when you consider you're choosing from all of North America. If there was a new state of the art stadium I could see it but other than we need to find another place in Canada that can provide the bare minimum there really isn't any selling features for Edmonton. Sorry folks

And Toronto is?  Sorry folks.  And why does that matter?  As someone who has done this, anything the world will see is prepackaged.  Whoever is doing the shooting will come in before the competition, go, or be taken, to all the beauty spots, get lots of mountain and lake footage etc and whatever else they have of local colour.  It's not like they are going to cut to local urban sprawl during the game.  You'll get a seven second overhead shot  of the stadium before the game and away you go.

[gator]

1 hour ago, Redpunkfiddle said:

 

Is there any large stadium that doesn't have long line ups when it is full?

I'm not sure what your parameters are for large stadium but I have yet to see a long washroom lineup at Tim Hortons Field, I do think the concessions get lined up when the crowd is large, the concourses are well designed IMHO as well!

[Joe MacCarthy]

Hey Freekick, just curious why you took your like off my post.  Was it because it was by me, defending Edmonton, or it didn't say what you thought it did.

[An Observer]

3 hours ago, ESG Shawn said:

For what its worth, Canada will be playing at a stadium with a track in November....

Shit. Really. I am going to have to give my tickets back

[Joe MacCarthy]

5 hours ago, Ozzie_the_parrot said:

...and how often do you see a running track at a World Cup venue? Something built for an athletics event in the late 1970s is not the format they normally look for.

Track, what track?  I don't see no running lanes on no track!

[Free kick]

1 hour ago, Joe MacCarthy said:

Hey Freekick, just curious why you took your like off my post.  Was it because it was by me, defending Edmonton, or it didn't say what you thought it did.

I put it back.   Hopefully you like it now..

 

 

[Joe MacCarthy]

28 minutes ago, Free kick said:

I put it back.   Hopefully you like it now..

 

 

I do, I do, I do (said in my best O'Reilly the builder voice from Fawlty Towers)

[The Real Marc]

2 minutes ago, Joe MacCarthy said:

I do, I do, I do (said in my best O'Reilly the builder voice from Fawlty Towers)

Not Abba?

[Joe MacCarthy]

Too shay, as the kids say

[PegCityCam]

7 hours ago, mowe said:

This has to be completely unprecedented for FIFA to allow a city to re-enter the bid process 4 years (!) after dropping out.

To me it’s a sure sign they weren’t happy with the Edmonton visit. That’s the only thing that changed recently.

They probably didn’t want to have give 5 games to a “weaker” venue/city. Now they can have a 3-3-4 split or most likely just shut out Edmonton entirely. 

Sincerely, Winnipeg