With less than three weeks until the opening match of the FIFA World Cup 2026™, FIFA President Gianni Infantino and the Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney, joined forces in the nation’s capital, Ottawa, to celebrate the growing soccer fever sweeping across the country.

The event, featuring the original FIFA World Cup™ trophy, brought together key figures from the worlds of sport and politics, including FIFA World Cup™ winner Alessandro Nesta, who played in Major League Soccer for Montreal Impact, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Chairman Larry Tanenbaum and Jennifer Mann, President North America, of the Coca-Cola Company.

Prime Minister Carney, an avid football fan, declared that the nation is fully prepared for the arrival of the world's greatest sporting event.

“Canada is ready. Canada is ready to welcome the biggest FIFA World Cup in history,” Mr Carney told the assembled crowd. “With 48 countries, hosted by three countries for the first time and games in Vancouver and Toronto, it will be a show like you’ve never seen before.”

The Prime Minister noted the impressive growth of football in Canada since the nation’s first appearance in a FIFA World Cup at Mexico 1986.

“Forty years ago, I sat in the basement of my house, and I watched every game of the 1986 (FIFA) World Cup, including the three that Canada played. It was our first (FIFA) World Cup. It was in Mexico. Captain Bruce Wilson led a team of tradespeople (and) students. So, a group of amateurs against Michel Platini’s France. That was our first game. It’s sobering, but we were close.

“We wore the maple leaf with pride on the world’s biggest stage, playing the beautiful game. And it’s interesting and important what’s happened to football – ‘soccer’ in this country – since. World-class talent like Alessandro (Nesta) coming here, passing on their knowledge. The game has flourished… our teams getting better and better, our women’s team winning gold at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. Our captain, Christine Sinclair, breaking the all-time international goalscoring record. A record she still holds. Our men’s team qualifying for the (FIFA) World Cup in Qatar.

“I hope everyone’s prepared, because we’re going to have some of those moments in a few weeks’ time. In 2012, Canada was 112th in the (FIFA) world (rankings). Now we’re one of the top 30. That’s a 75% increase. I’m an economist – it’s a 75% increase. We belong on the pitch with the best teams in the world and we’re going to see that.”

The Prime Minister also highlighted his government's recent CAD 750 million investment in Canadian sport, the largest in the country's history, aimed at supporting both excellence on the “podium, for excellence” and participation on the “playground”. He noted that this includes 330 football projects across the country to ensure all Canadians can celebrate the tournament.

Mr Infantino praised Canada’s unique ability to bring people together, noting that the country's diversity mirrors the global nature of the game.

“Canada is a wonderful country that brings together the whole world. The only time when the world stands still is during the FIFA World Cup,” the FIFA President said. “The world stands still because nobody’s breathing and everyone is focusing on what is going to happen in Vancouver, in Toronto, and in all other cities.”

The FIFA President reiterated that six billion people are expected to watch the tournament worldwide and stressed the partnership that has created the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, with revenues from the World Cup Final Halftime Show supporting inequality education for children across all 211 FIFA Member Associations (MAs).

The tournament is set to have a significant economic impact, with research from Deloitte Canada estimating a contribution of up to CAD 3.8 billion in positive economic output for the host nation. Matches will be held at Toronto Stadium, where capacity has been expanded to 45,736, and Vancouver Stadium, which boasts a 54,500-seat capacity.

For their part, Canada will play their opening match on home soil against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Friday, 12 June in Toronto.