The city of Edmonton is one of the promising venues of Canada which can host the 2026 FIFA World Cup if everything goes well. The city was shortlisted along with Alberta’s Calgary and seven other places all over the country. Other cities include Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver, as well as other areas of Canada like Regina, Montreal.
About the Stadium
The stadium to host the games in Edmonton is Commonwealth Stadium, which has a seating capacity of around 35,650 people. Football fans from all over the world will visit this stunning city and love to attend not only football matches but also famous gambling houses. But today, it is even easier to do that because of websites like casinovalley.ca advisor when you can read reviews of the best online casino you are interested in and then play it anywhere on your smartphone or tablet instead of wondering around for a gambling house. Janelle Janis, event manager of Edmonton Events commented that Edmonton is ahead of the rest of the cities as it has the experience of hosting multiple FIFA events in the past. The capacity of Commonwealth Stadium is also second largest among all the shortlisted cities giving the city an edge over its competitors.
Who is Going to Manage It?
All the bids are being managed by the United Bid Committee who is looking after the North American bid on behalf of US, Canada, and Mexico. 49 stadiums in 44 cities have been identified by the committee and they have been notified about expressing their interest for the FIFA 2026 bid.
All cities will be able to announce their interest by September 5 after which the bids will be analyzed by Canadian Soccer Association. The official bid will have to be sent to FIFA on March 16, 2018, and the selection of the successful bidder is scheduled to be held in June 2018.
It’s Going to Be a Great Time for All Edmonton Residents!
Edmonton is surely going to express its interest, said Janis. They are busy collecting all the information that needs to go in the bid and will finalize it by the deadline. Janis and others are hoping that they will get some positive news by the end of September. Every city has to present a report of transportation infrastructure, venues, accommodation facilities, the former experience of hosting prominent sporting tournaments and other details.
Understanding the Things to Take Care of
While the cities in the shortlist are busy getting prepared for the bid, CEO of Tourism Calgary, Cindy Ady expressed that it’s too early to comment on matters and say whether they are going to host it. Like other bid opportunities, Calgary Sports Tourism Authority will analyze and determine whether it wants to express interest in the bid or not.
Can Edmonton Make It?
If is not sure if all the cities are going to express interest in the bid or not. But if others pull out, the case of Edmonton gets stronger on grounds like past experience and a large capacity stadium. 10 games of the tournament are scheduled to be played in Canada while the final would be hosted in the US. It would be a win for Canada – who gets to house most of the games.
The FIFA Council has also expanded the game into 16 groups of 3 teams. The two winning teams from each group will qualify for the 32 team knockout stage.