Excitement already building around Kitchener for 2026 World Cup
Posted Jun 17, 2022 09:45:00 PM.
The Kitchener Soccer Club was full of excitement on Thursday night, as Toronto was announced as one of the host cities for the 2026 men's World Cup.
Danielle Byers, director of marketing and Communications at the Kitchener Soccer Club, described the scene.
“[Thursday] night a lot of our membership and staff here at the club were watching the announcement on TV, really hoping that Toronto was going to get some matches,” said Byers. “When the news came out they were going to get it … everyone was buzzing and super excited.”
Soccer has been growing in Waterloo Region in large part due to the recent success of both the men's and women's national teams.
Now, with some of the best players in the world coming to Toronto, it will likely grow even further.
“I think just the excitement and the buzz of the entire world's focus on somewhere so close to home like Toronto is going to be tremendous for the growth of the sport.” Byers said.
The club is planning on having viewing parties for the upcoming World Cup this fall.
However, the club expects even more excitement when the World Cup comes to Toronto and hopes to acquire some tickets for the matches.
Byers believes there is no limit to how far of a reach soccer can have.
“I think Canadians will always love hockey, but I think there's probably room in their hearts for soccer to find an equal footing. If we can get the game to that level, that would be amazing.”
