Legacy has been a key theme in the lead-up to the FIFA men\u2019s World Cup. As the most played youth sport in Canada, soccer now has a prime chance to grow in a nation traditionally celebrated for its hockey excellence.<\/p>\n
Canada Soccer is set to receive a $9.8 million investment to build a national training and development centre. Renovations to existing stadiums are also planned to support the sport\u2019s expansion. Canada Soccer president Peter Augruso acknowledged a long-standing gap: \u201cFor years, Canada has been one of the few major soccer nations in the world without a dedicated national training centre,\u201d he said. \u201cAt a time where the game is growing rapidly across every corner of this country, this gap has become impossible to ignore.\u201d<\/p>\n
Several initiatives aim to boost soccer\u2019s reach, including the Soccer for All Legacy Program, Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities, and the federal government\u2019s pledge to build 25 new pitches across Canada.<\/p>\n
Media attention on the men\u2019s World Cup will be intense, with fans focused on Canada\u2019s recently named 26-man squad and head coach Jesse Marsch\u2019s leadership. While hopes run high for the men\u2019s team, women and girls across Canada are also dreaming big.<\/p>\n
The women\u2019s game in Canada continues to gain momentum, highlighted by stars like Olivia Smith and Kadeisha Buchanan excelling in England\u2019s Women\u2019s Super League. Domestically, the Northern Super League (NSL) is entering its second season.<\/p>\n
Halifax Tides player Sydney Kennedy, a proud Nova Scotian who played collegiately in the U.S. and Canada, shared her hopes. \u201cEven though it\u2019s the men\u2019s World Cup, young girls and women will still be watching and dreaming of one day playing on that stage themselves, just like I did growing up watching both the men\u2019s and women\u2019s World Cups,\u201d said the 25-year-old. \u201cI hope the excitement around the World Cup continues long after it is over and helps grow the women\u2019s game in Canada even more.\u201d<\/p>\n
Canadian soccer legend and NSL founder Diana Matheson outlined what she wants from the tournament\u2019s legacy. \u201cFor the past two years, every time someone has asked me what the legacy of this World Cup should be, my answer has been the same: soccer infrastructure,\u201d she said. \u201cMore fields. More mid-sized stadiums. Right now, Canada has one mid-sized stadium \u2014 between 8,000 and 18,000 seats \u2014 for every eight million people. In countries like Sweden, Japan and Australia, it\u2019s closer to one for every 500,000. We\u2019re newer to the game, so that gap is understandable, but hosting the World Cup is exactly the moment to start closing it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Canada Soccer CEO Kevin Blue echoed Matheson\u2019s viewpoint. \u201cOne of the most important next steps for the sport in Canada is the continued development of appropriately sized soccer-specific stadiums and community infrastructure across the country \u2014 facilities that can sustainably support professional men\u2019s and women\u2019s clubs, create better matchday environments, and help deepen the connection between teams and their local communities,\u201d he said. \u201cThe momentum surrounding both the men\u2019s World Cup and the upcoming women\u2019s World Cup (next year in Brazil) has reinforced the importance of investing not only in elite performance, but also in the broader ecosystem that will help the game continue growing long after these tournaments conclude.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, legacy is about more than infrastructure. Canada\u2019s women\u2019s soccer scene has previously suffered from a lack of visionary support. Beyond the need for a national development centre, women require dedicated spaces to develop professionally through club, regional, and provincial programs. Opportunities exist from grassroots levels to USport and League One or Premier League competitions, offering pathways for girls from across the country.<\/p>\n
If professional women\u2019s leagues remain without proper homes and must share facilities dominated by men\u2019s leagues, the long-term legacy for women\u2019s soccer is jeopardized.<\/p>\n
Matheson stresses that legacy also means building a sustainable soccer economy. Canadian investors must continue to back clubs and leagues, and corporate partners need to recognize the rising momentum in women\u2019s sports. Media coverage that tells the stories and grows audiences, combined with loyal fans attending matches regularly, will solidify that legacy.<\/p>\n
\u201cInfrastructure creates the foundation, but thriving clubs and packed stands are what bring the sport to life,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Kennedy hopes the Northern Super League will attract increasing attention. \u201cOnce people become more invested in soccer overall, they start paying attention to the domestic game, too,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Acknowledging soccer dreams in Canada are not defined by gender is essential. As the men\u2019s World Cup unfolds, the country must continue to embrace the sport\u2019s positive energy and grow its love for soccer, especially when women take to the field.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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