Canada returns to soccer’s grandest stage for only the second time in its history. Despite the way that the 1986 World Cup went for Les Rouges and the lack of success in the decades since, this time feels very different.
There’s a much greater sense of opportunity surrounding the team going to Qatar and, perhaps more importantly, that the 2022 World Cup will merely be a building block for what’s to come.
Head coach John Herdman has said that the team needs to capture the moment and that the event will change the country forever. So, how will soccer grow after Canada’s World Cup showing?
Soccer’s big in Canada, but there’s room to grow
For the sport, it’s common sense that success in major tournaments by the national teams leads to greater involvement of participation at lower levels. Importantly, those who perform well will inspire grassroots-level aspirants.
Alphonso Davies, Jonathan David, and Stephen Eustáquio look set to be the stars of the show, but domestic players like Kamal Miller and Mark-Anthony Kaye could become fan favourites and help drum up local MLS attendances.
With Canada at +1400 to reach the quarter-finals in the soccer odds, there’s a glimmer of hope that Les Rouges’ stars will push the team beyond expectations, which would inspire even more interest in the sport.
As will always be the case in Canada, though, hockey takes precedence. Viewership, local fandom, and participation are all incredibly high, from the junior leagues to the international stage.
That said, soccer participation has crept above hockey in recent years. The 2019/20 season saw some one million registered soccer participants, while hockey had 606,000 registered players.
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— Canada Soccer (@CanadaSoccerEN) October 25, 2022
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Soccer’s appeal comes in the form of its accessibility, low cost of participation, and openness to both sexes. Hockey involves heavy contact, expensive equipment, and admittedly not-hard-to-find specialist facilities when the ponds aren’t frozen.
Viewership figures are also key. The big difference here is that the best competitions during the domestic season are in Europe, as are Canada’s most talented stars.
While the times tend to align with Canadian waking hours, they don’t usually comply with what we’ll call socially acceptable times for the sociable sports-viewing experience at pubs and bars.
For the Canadian national teams, though, the country watches en masse.
The 2020 Olympics gold medal game won by the women’s team landed 4.4 million viewers, while the men’s victory over Mexico in World Cup qualification was seen by 1.15 million during an MLS game day.
The Canadian Premier League could also prove to be an important building block that’s proven its place just in time for a surge in interest following the World Cup.
Providing a national top-flight league gives more opportunities to aspiring soccer players who see the limitations of the few MLS teams in Canada.
Still, continued investment will be the most important factor, from professional leagues all of the way down to youth soccer.
Drawing from the unprecedented success of Iceland in soccer
In 2016, Iceland captured the imaginations of soccer fans across Europe by storming to the Euros quarter-finals, and then they qualified for the 2018 Word Cup. What’s unprecedented is that Iceland only has a population of 370,000.
The smallest nation to attend the World Cup does boast quite the sporting spirit, with 2014 data showcasing that, for men and women, Iceland is among the top ten for once-a-week physical activities in the European Union.
Specifically on the soccer front, however, the nation has been building correctly for future success since the turn of the millennium.
Integral to the project has been the creation of massive indoor soccer halls and pitches, enabling play throughout the harsh winter, fall, and spring months.
Investment at the grassroots level has been huge for Iceland, with infrastructure made convenient around the country and money put into raising the standard and expertise of coaches at all levels.
Now, there are nearly 350 soccer pitches dotted around the volcanic island – enough for one per 66 registered players – and one in 500 people have a UEFA coaching licence, which is 20-times the rate seen in England.
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— Canada Soccer (@CanadaSoccerEN) October 24, 2022
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In men’s and women’s football, players have since made it to the international teams having grown up playing in indoor stadiums, with those coming through now in their early-20s known as the “turf generation.”
Following Euro and World Cup success, the revenues of the Icelandic football association (KSÍ) rocketed in 2016 and 2018, but between those, it continued an upward trend on previous years.
Knowing that KSÍ has continued to invest as it has since the ‘00s, there’s little doubt that appearing at the World Cup will have the knock-on effect of even better grassroots football in Iceland and superior players down the line.
Canada may be out at +1000 to win Group F when betting online, but an underdog story akin to Iceland’s run of success is very much on the cards.
In Iceland, success has led to more funds for investment, feeding the increased interest spurred on by the national team’s story and its star players.
Investing the World Cup cash in grassroots and lower-level soccer looks to be the best way to go from Canada’s already decent jumping-off point that’s superior to Icelandic soccer’s surge that started in 2000.
Canada to maintain its place on the world stage
While the 2022 World Cup is expected to help grow the sport in Canada – especially if the side gets a win or even escapes Group F – the most profound effect will likely come in 2026.
Canada will joint-host the new-look 2026 FIFA World Cup with Mexico and the US, which will be the second joint-hosted tournament and the first to feature 48 teams.
As a host, Canada can expect to benefit from a form of trickle-down effect on widespread participation of soccer in the country, which was even seen following the co-hosted 2002 FIFA World Cup in Japan and Korea Republic.
Having made it to its first World Cup in 36 years, set to play hosts in 2026, and set to be a shoo-in for the next 48-team tournament (CONCACAF will have six teams qualify and two will go to the play-offs), Canadian soccer looks set to grow exponentially over the next ten years if increased revenues are reflected in grassroots investments.
*Credit for all images in this article belongs to AP Photo*
FIRST PUBLISHED: 31st October 2022
