Canada Soccer Must Starting Preparing For The 2026 FIFA World Cup 

Summary

• Canada and the United States will co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup
• Canada played well in Qatar but crashed out without winning any games
• Canada Soccer must do more to prepare Team Canada for 2026 World Cup

Canada qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup after a period of 36 years which was a big achievement in itself. Even though they lost, Team Canada put on a great show in their opening game against Belgium and gave football fans in Canada something to cheer about.

However, their performance dipped during their next two games and Canada exited the World Cup losing all three games. There is a lot of work to be done for Canada to improve before the 2026 FIFA World Cup which they will co-host along with the United States.

Canada Soccer Must Sort Out Financial Issues

The Canadian football team and Canada Soccer are not on the same page when it comes to compensation for both the men’s and women’s team. It was a point of contention going into the 2022 FIFA World Cup but Team Canada agreed to play the World Cup in good faith as Canada Soccer promised to continue negotiations after the World Cup.

Canada Soccer needs to sort out these financial issues and get on the same page quickly to take football forward in Canada. The Canadian football association also needs to do more to take care of its players in terms of sponsorship deals. Canada was the only team in Qatar that played with old kits while all the other teams had new kits.

Nike which showcased new football kits for many teams in Qatar stated that Canada would not get new kits as their contract was different. Given the fact that Canada was playing at the World Cup after 36 years, Canada Soccer should have pushed harder to get new kits and have them in stores for Canadian fans to buy and support their team.

Have A Better Strategy To Improve Performance 

One of the main reasons Canada struggled in Qatar is because they hardly get to play against the top teams in the world. Canada has not played against a top 10 team for over a decade and only got the opportunity after qualifying for the World Cup.

Canada Soccer must find ways to get more top 15 teams to play against Canada. They also need to work on a succession plan to foster new talent to replace some of the veterans in the squad to prepare for the 2026 World Cup.