The growth of soccer in Canada
If you were a contestant on a game show asked to name the most popular sport in Canada, you would probably raise a few laughs if you answered 'soccer'.
Ice hockey undoubtedly dominates the sporting landscape in Canada, while American Football and baseball also get plenty of air time. However, much like has happened in the United States, soccer is emerging as a genuine rival to the more established sports in Canada.
The exploits of Canada's three Major League Soccer Franchises - Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver - has played a significant role in raising the profile of the sport.
Soccer boom attracts online gambling interest
This has sparked increased interest from broadcasters and sponsors, while the online gambling industry in Canada has also been paying more attention to soccer.
Odds on MLS games are available on betting sites Canada throughout the season - a factor which has raised the appetite for soccer among Canadian sports fans.
Intriguingly, participation numbers in soccer suggest the sport is already more popular than ice hockey at grassroots level. Canada Soccer claim there are an estimated one million registered soccer players in the country, almost double the amount who play ice hockey.
Interest in the sport extends beyond domestic competitions and participation numbers, with Canada's international teams also garneting plenty of attention. The crucial World Cup qualification game between Canada and Mexico in November 2021 attracted a television audience of 1.15 million people.
That figure was made noteworthy as all the other major league sports broadcast games at the same time, thus providing added competition to the soccer match.
Changing demographics
Soccer's emergence as a force in Canada can partly be attributed to changing demographics, with analysts predicting more than one third of the population will be immigrants by 2036.
Many of that number will move from countries where soccer is the number one sport - a passion which will naturally follow them to their new homeland.
Another factor helping soccer's cause is the National Hockey League's inability to market itself effectively to younger sports fans. They crave engagement with star players, while the NHL is hellbent on pushing the 'team sport' angle. By contrast, soccer shouts from the rooftops about its top names.
While this concept is largely alien to long-term sports fans, of which there are many in ice hockey, it is an ethos which the next generation of supporters are eager to embrace. With ice hockey failing to get to grips with this concept, soccer is well-placed to capitalise.
Canadian soccer exports overseas have also boosted the profile of the sport, with Jonathan David and Alphonso Davies among the players who have made a name for themselves in Europe's top leagues.
Increased television coverage of their respective leagues and competitions such as the English Premier League have further heightened interest of soccer in Canada.
Each of the factors highlighted up to this point have brought Canadian soccer to a point where it is on the cusp of knocking ice hockey off its perch. All of which brings us neatly to the 2026 World Cup.
The 2026 World Cup
Canada is less than three years away from co-hosting the biggest tournament in sport alongside the United States and Mexico. This event will unquestionably generate further interest in soccer.
The explosion of soccer in the US can be traced back to the country hosting the World Cup in 1994. The tournament was the catalyst for soccer to truly take off, providing a platform for the MLS to set down roots and become a genuine rival to the other traditional North American sports.
Many experts now argue that soccer is one of the so-called 'Big Four' alongside American Football, basketball and baseball, with ice hockey now on the outside looking in. Given soccer's global appeal and changing demographics in Canada, it is not beyond the realms of possibility for the same to happen there.
A strong performance by Canada on home soil in three years' time could ultimately provide soccer with the impetus it needs to power past ice hockey in the popularity stakes. They performed with credit at Qatar 2022, but ultimately returned home empty-handed after losing all three group games.
However, with home advantage and a passionate crowd behind them, Canada will rightly fancy their chances of making progress in 2026.
Further MLS expansion would also help soccer's cause in Canada, especially if investors start to get itchy feet about ploughing their money into ice hockey. Ottawa, Calgary and Edmonton could be ripe for an MLS franchise, which would further cement soccer's foothold in Canada.
Soccer has unquestionably moved into an excellent position in Canada. The only thing which could potentially scupper its bid to overhaul ice hockey in the popularity stakes is if the NHL finally recognises that resting on your laurels is a recipe for disaster.