Christine Sinclair says World Cup 2026 ‘feels real’ after draw
Canadian and B.C. soccer legend Christine Sinclair says the World Cup “feels real” now that the draw for FIFA’s 2026 Men’s World Cup has taken place.
Sinclair, who has represented Canada in six World Cups, says players can now begin picturing the games and start strategizing about specific opponents.
The Canadian men, ranked 27th in the world, drew No. 17 Switzerland, the fifth-ranked team in Pot 2 and then No. 51 Qatar, the 10th-ranked side in Pot 3.
Pot 4 threw up a yet-to-be determined European team that could be Italy, Northern Ireland, Wales or Bosnia.
Sinclair, who helped host a live watch party for the draw at Craft Beer Market in Vancouver’s False Creek, says she hopes to attend the Canadian games in person, though she knows those games will be “hot ticket” items.
But, she says she knows it will be special wherever people watch, remembering what it was like during the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver and predicting the World Cup will be “that times 100.”
B.C. Premier David Eby told watch party attendees that the province is excited to host, saying the games will provide B.C. with the opportunity to “grow the economy, create good-paying jobs and support hard-working people right across the province.”
“These games are going to leave a legacy in every corner of the province with soccer facilities, kids who are excited about soccer, who are getting fit and having fun and building self-esteem,” he said before joking that the sport was not how he built his own self-esteem.
“I was never very good at it, but I loved the orange slices, and I continue to love orange slices.”
The Canadian men will open play June 12 in Toronto against the European side drawn from Pot 4. They will then head to Vancouver, where they will face Qatar on June 18 and then Switzerland on June 24 at B.C. Place Stadium.
If Team Canada wins their pool, they will stay in Vancouver for their round-of-32 game and, if they keep winning, for a round-of-16 matchup.
Should Canada finish second in the pool, they will face the second-placed team in Mexico’s Group A.
The full tournament schedule is slated for release Saturday.
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