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So how about a World Cup in a country you'd really enjoy visiting?

G

greatwhitenorf

Dean Richards
2026.

Canada. FIFA thinkers already in talks to make it happen. Heard it on a sports radio station here in Toronto. When proper links emerge, I'll post them. Certainly make a better choice than Qatar.

Don't start thinking this is some kind of self-aggrandizing stunt. Football's always been strong here - NASL had stout clubs in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver which are now equally stout in MLS. More want in. Great cities to host the event across four time zones - Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax.

Clean, prosperous, and safe environment. Good stadiums already in place, skill and ability to add more where needed. People love beer and cheer. Great nightlife everywhere. Tailgate parties under the summer sun. Boogaloo and barbecue. Would be an absolute showcase for the game.

As for Russian hooligans, we've got ice hockey players aplenty - big farmboys from Alberta who hold summer jobs working as tractors - who'd sort them out in an instant. They'd chuck the knuckles then help them up, saying 'Excuse me, sir, but you just can't act that way in front of decent folk.' Probably grab them a beer and talk hockey.

What thinkest thou people of fair Albion?
 
Empty stadiums and no atmosphere. No thanks.
Looking forward to a proper World Cup in Brazil in 2 years.
 
They had their chance with Australia but Fifa, in their infinite wisdom, believed Qatar would provide a greater tournament for fan and player alike.
 
Modric THFC said:
Empty stadiums and no atmosphere. No thanks.
QUOTE]

Pathetically ignorant comment.

U-20 World Cup packed 'em in. Wonderful to watch Sergio Aguero and Ever Banega for Argentina. And Freddy Adu, too! Great crowds and atmosphere.

Women's World Cup drew really well also, maybe best it's ever had.

MLS clubs already draw better than Championship League. Admit it, you just don't want to know how good life is in 'the colonies.'
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Would be a fantastic World Cup, without doubt. MLS clubs in Canada are stronger than most give them credit for being. Nesta's just joined Montreal Impact, don't forget.

Also, 90 percent of the infrastructure's in place, the people are fantastic (in the main), there's a great sports culture already in place (hockey) that could be easily adapted to football, and the government (unlike in Qatar, Russia et al) are neither actively discriminatory or creepingly fascist.

You'd be surprised how well a world cup would go if hosted by Canada. Sure, there might be slight problems with travel, if the games are held on both the West and East Coast simultaneously, but, like I said, ninety percent of the infrastructure's in place.

(I freely admit, though, that my current residence in said country may have influenced my opinion somewhat :) )
 
http://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/opi...er-association-to-bid-for-2026-world-cup.html

So, let's do an inventory of stadiums.

Montreal - 70,000+ domed Olympic stadium and 20,000 MLS stadium, easily expandable to larger size. Drew 50,000 + crowd for MLS season opener in dome, rebuilt MLS stadium virtually full most games.

Toronto - 50,000+ dome with retractable roof and 21,500 MLS stadium, easily expandable to 40,000. Drew 47,000 to the dome watch LA Galaxatives-Toronto FC Concacaf Champions League game this year. MLS team, terrible this year, has history of full houses.

Vancouver - 60,000 dome with retractable roof. Has been filled for soccer in past seasons. Whitecaps MLS team caps attendance to lower bowl, routinely sells out around 27,000.

Edmonton - 60,000 Commonwealth Games stadium. Near capacity crowds in recent years for men's, women's and youth soccer events.

Calgary - 37,000 stadium, easily expanded and upgradeable.

Winnipeg - new 35,000 stadium for Canadian football. Easily adapted for WC.

Ottawa - Had 30,000 seat stadium, currently in refurbishing mode for Canadian football. Easily expanded and adapted to WC. Hosted full houses for World-U-20 games.

Halifax - No appreciable venue, but this is a wealthy prosperous country that can far more afford to add stadiums than almost any other European country. And this bustling, growing city is due a proper stadium sooner than later.

And only 14 years left to sort it out.
 
Brazil

[video=youtube;nsDwDAo9J8Y]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsDwDAo9J8Y[/video]


Good luck recreating that atmosphere. Don't really care how many plastic fans Canada can summon for a month. USA '94 was bad enough.
 
greatwhitenorf said:
Wouldn't need to pack much of a wardrobe.

Shorts. T-shirts. Sunglasses. Tensor bandage for sore drinking arm.
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But if you believe the long range weather predictions and sea levels you will need to pack a wet suit and snorkel. According to "experts" the Maldives may not exist in 2026
 
Good luck recreating that atmosphere. Don't really care how many plastic fans Canada can summon for a month. USA '94 was bad enough.
Oh, well, there you go. Case closed.

We'll bring out the white screens and humanely destroy all ambitions to improve the game world wide. Roving death squads can mop up the bystanders.

Is there anywhere online where we can buy your manual on how to be a pompous knob?

BTW, USA 94 was a triffic event. I was part of the huge crowds and great atmosphere that graced events in New York, New England and Detroit. Surely you were there? Supporting England.
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Personally I want to see a few World Cups go to proper footballing nations. While I appreciate FIFA wanting to promote football in other countries like South Africa and Qatar, the World Cups are worse for it IMO.

Go back to how it has historically been, in Europe every 8 years and other continents in between.

Personally I think Qatar will be a colossal failure due to the heat, and even worse if they move it to a winter tournament
 
greatwhitenorf said:
Oh, well, there you go. Case closed.

We'll bring out the white screens and humanely destroy all ambitions to improve the game world wide. Roving death squads can mop up the bystanders.

Is there anywhere online where we can buy your manual on how to be a pompous knob?

BTW, USA 94 was a triffic event. I was part of the huge crowds and great atmosphere that graced events in New York, New England and Detroit. Surely you were there? Supporting England.
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England weren't there and I'm not Enlgish.
 
I can absolutely guarantee you there will not be a World Cup in Canada in my lifetime. Not a chance. Why go to Canada when the States and all the $$$ are so close?

Canada isn't corrupt enough to 'make it happen' either, just like Australia.
 
In addition to that, they won't go 2 World Cups in a row outside of Europe, so it will be back the for 2026 and then China have been promised 2030, so the earliest the US, Canada, Australia et al can hope for it is 2038.

I've been to 3 of those stadiums and they are absolutely brick for football (BC Place, SkyDome and Mtl Olympic Stadium).
 
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Modric THFC said:
England weren't there and I'm not Enlgish.
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Yeah, and 'plastic fans' is such a lazy phrase. Like as if there were a cutoff date and all those who chose to become football supporters after that are somehow not equal to those who came before. And it's nice to see the Bombonera at it's peak. But no one can deny that life within Boca doesn't come without some serious baggage brought on by the hardcore fans. That's not an acceptable tradeoff for most sports clubs, in any sport, across the globe. Hardly an equitable example.

The game has come and gone in phases in North American over several decades. Each time it has bounced back stronger than the last time. This time, it's here to stay and the proof is in the great new football-first stadiums being built all over the continent. What's wrong with that? Fans will have to learn and develop and create their own new traditions. You can't act like they're not entitled to try. The Yanks will win their first World Cup before England win their second.

The World Cup isn't about creating a terrifying, intimidating match-day atmosphere, followed by days of anxiety and fear roaming the streets. It's about being able to stage a global event in a safe, enjoyable and amicable environment. I've attended World Cups that met the latter criteria in both the USA and Mexico, as well as Spain, and think Canada has established a strong enough infrastructure to create a fabulous World Cup. And yes, it's about attracting fans for one month. When those fans, wherever they come from, can feel happy and secure to enjoy themselves to the fullest, you'll see jam-packed stadiums and fabulous atmosphere.

There's a deeply knowledgable, widespread and numerous fan base already here to make it work today. There's a hospitable, tolerant and outwardly-looking nature to the population at large. In 14 years, when they're proposing to host it, that base will be even broader and stronger.

Canada's already hosted three Olympic Games in the past 35 years. It won't remotely destablize the economy to host a World Cup. You'll have an amazing time wherever your nation's games are played. It will simply tinkle all over Russia and Qatar.
 
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tommysvr said:
In addition to that, they won't go 2 World Cups in a row outside of Europe, so it will be back the for 2026 and then China have been promised 2030, so the earliest the US, Canada, Australia et al can hope for it is 2038.

I've been to 3 of those stadiums and they are absolutely brick for football (BC Place, SkyDome and Mtl Olympic Stadium).
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I haven't been to Montreal's stadium since baseball days, but I'd agree, it's not the greatest. But brick is too harsh a term. There's good seats and there's bad seats.

The Skydome was packed for the LA game and most people I met had a great time there and the atmosphere was very good. C'mon, Beckham was pelted by a beer can. But If it were a permanent solution, Toronto FC would be there already. It isn't nearly tight enough behind the goals.

BMO Field holds 21,500 now and could easily, and will be, expanded to near 40k. Most people here expect a new stadium will eventually be built for a NFL team and if so, that would be the WC venue. The point of mentioning the domes is that despite the so-called crappiness you describe, they still have drawn full houses for football matches. The domestic audience for the game is already established and eager for more.

The newly re-configured BC Place is pretty good for football. The full houses that show up there say you're wrong.
 
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I'm all for Canada having the World Cup. I mean, England has Wimbledon every year and haven't produced a player who can get the ball over the net in decades.
 
Canada... nice country to visit, no place for a world cup though.

I dont see any problem with suggesting it should be held in countries that are really passionate about football. Next up in Brazil you can be sure the whole country will be going crazy for it, it means so much to them. Hold it somewhere like Canada or USA and most people dont care about the sport. Sure the grounds might sell out, but its more a case of people just going along for the sake of it. I'd go and watch a big baseball game if it was held a few miles from my home, but it would just be to check it out rather than really caring what happens.

Just to add, im sure Canada hosting it would be a success, but it would just be a shame that there are far more deserving countries missing out. 1 event every four years, the biggest event in the world and it ends up somewhere that are not keen on the sport, just doesnt feel right.
 
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