The 2026 World Cup offers a chance to drive soccer into Canada’s mainstream, boost commercial revenues and elevate the Canadian Premier League, said James Johnson, commissioner of the country’s top-tier domestic competition.

The ​tournament – the first edition of the global showpiece to feature 48 teams – will be co-hosted by ‌Canada, alongside the United States and Mexico, from June 11 to July 19.

“Like any World Cup, there is always a big opportunity to grow the sport and grow the business of the sport,” Johnson, who is also the Group CEO of Canadian Soccer Business, ​told Reuters in an interview.

“Canada, for the first time in our history, will co-host the 2026 World ​Cup. From our perspective, we see an opportunity to break the sport into the mainstream, ⁠to really grow commercial revenues, and ultimately to put the Canadian Premier League at the very centre of the ​Canadian sports agenda.”

Canada will appear at the men’s World Cup for a third time, following previous appearances in 1986 ​and 2022.

Coached by American Jesse Marsch, their squad includes Bayern Munich left back Alphonso Davies, the team’s captain, and Juventus forward Jonathan David.

“We’ve got two great national teams, the men’s and the women’s. We’ve got players playing at big clubs and in top leagues ​around the world,” Johnson said.

The Canadian Premier League was founded in 2017 and played its first season in 2019. ​Johnson believes the league is now entering a more mature phase.

“We have a new league, a relatively new league, that is maturing ‌in ⁠the Canadian Premier League, developing great players for the national teams and for big clubs around the world,” he said.

“All the right ingredients are there. It’s about bringing those ingredients together and making magic happen. That’s what we’re focused on doing as we co-host a World Cup.”

The Canadian Premier League has also positioned itself at the forefront of innovation. ​In April, a goal scored ​under soccer’s experimental “daylight” offside ⁠rule was allowed for the first time in a professional match.

The concept, long advocated by former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger in his role as FIFA’s head of global football ​development, is now being assessed in Canada as a potential future change to the ​laws of the ⁠game.

“What we’re doing with FIFA and Wenger is something new. It’s innovative. We think it’s great for the sport,” Johnson added.

“It’s created a lot of debate, both around video football support and the daylight rule, and that’s a good thing. ⁠We see ​our role as creating interest in our league.

“We want more discussion ​in Canada, but we also want to be part of a global conversation that is driving the sport forward. We think we’re doing that ​through the implementation of these new rules.”

-Reuters

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Millions of soccer fans in the world’s two most populous nations may ​not be able to watch the World Cup that starts next month, due to a deadlock over broadcast rights in India and ‌no official decision in China.

In India, a Reliance-Disney joint venture has offered $20 million for 2026 World Cup broadcast rights, a fraction of FIFA’s ask, which was not acceptable to soccer’s global governing body, two sources told Reuters on Monday. Sony (6758.T), opens new tab held talks but also decided not to make an offer for FIFA rights for India, a third source with direct knowledge said.

There has also ​been no deal announcement for China, which FIFA says accounted for 49.8% of all hours of viewing on digital and social platforms globally during ​the 2022 World Cup.

FIFA did not respond to a Reuters request for comment. Reliance-Disney, a joint venture led by billionaire Mukesh ⁠Ambani’s Reliance (RELI.NS), opens new tab, did not respond to requests for comment, and neither did Sony.

The lack of a confirmed broadcast agreement with India or China is unusual at this ​stage.

In past World Cups, including 2018 and 2022, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV secured the rights well in advance and began airing promotional content and sponsor-driven advertisements weeks before ​the tournament.

CCTV, which has extensive reach across television and digital platforms, did not immediately return a request for comment.

China accounted for 17.7% and India 2.9% of the global linear TV reach of the 2022 tournament. The two countries together accounted for 22.6% of the total global digital streaming reach for that World Cup.

The 2026 tournament kicks off on June 11, leaving barely five weeks ​for a deal to be finalised, broadcast infrastructure to be set up and advertising inventory to be sold.

HUGE SOCCER FOLLOWING IN INDIA, CHINA

For India, FIFA initially sought $100 ​million for broadcast rights for the 2026 and 2030 World Cups, the sources said, declining to be named because the talks are private.

When the World Cup last aired in India ‌in 2022, ⁠Reliance’s then-standalone media arm secured the rights for about $60 million, which was announced around 14 months before the event in Qatar. The tournament drew over 110 million digital viewers across its platforms.

Reliance and Disney (DIS.N), opens new tab have since formed a joint venture to emerge as a dominant force in India’s media and streaming landscape, and the $20 million FIFA offer underscores the negotiating power the Indian group commands.

FIFA had significantly lowered its ask from the $100 million earlier, but has not been keen on the $20 million figure Reliance ​offered, one source said.

Reliance-Disney, which has spent ​billions on cricket broadcast rights, believes ⁠the World Cup will have lower viewership in India as the tournament is being held in the United States, Canada and Mexico, and most matches will air past midnight in India, the sources said.

China has around 200 million soccer fans, more ​than any other country, but has failed to build world-class teams, partly due to a top-down approach where clubs pick ​players from a very ⁠small pool of pre-screened candidates.

The second source added that football does not command the commercial premium in India like its most popular sport, cricket, and an advertising slowdown linked to the Iranian war has further eroded revenue expectations.

“Football is a niche segment in India,” said the source.

Sony, which has TV channels and a streaming app in India, also ⁠decided not to ​purchase broadcast rights from FIFA as it did not make economic sense for the group, said ​the third industry source.

“Not much time is left, but I won’t call it a stalemate. It’s more like we are at the end of a chess game with a couple of moves left,” said ​Rohit Potphode, managing partner for sports at advertising agency Dentsu India.

-Reuters

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Australia coach Tony Popovic said it would be “wonderful” if ​Donald Trump were to watch their World Cup match against the United States in Seattle, ‌saying the U.S. President’s presence would motivate his team.

Trump is expected to attend the co-hosts’ matches, which include a group stage game against Popovic’s Socceroos at the 72,000-seat Seattle Stadium on June 19.

“I don’t know if he wants to come and watch the ​U.S. play, I’m sure I’d expect him to come and watch them at the World Cup,” ​Popovic told reporters in Sydney on Monday.

“If he chooses to watch Australia, that’s wonderful ⁠for us. It would make it even more special in trying to win that game.”

Australia midfielder and occasional ​captain Jackson Irvine said last week that FIFA awarding Trump its inaugural Peace Prize made a “mockery” of the ​governing body’s Human Rights Policy, and voiced concern for LGBT rights in the U.S.

Popovic, however, said he was not bothered by the political climate in the U.S. as he prepares to head to Sarasota, Florida, for a pre-World Cup camp.

The World Cup, also ​co-hosted by Canada and Mexico, starts on June 11.

“We’ve already been in the U.S. in October and November. We’ve ​had no issues there,” Popovic said of Australia’s tour of the nation for friendly matches.

“We’ve enjoyed both experiences – on and ‌off the ⁠park. We were well looked after. We had a great time, whether that was casually or obviously professionally with training and playing.

“Jackson’s a big boy. He has his opinions. My focus is on the team and that’s not really something that I’ve wasted any energy on.”

A contingent of eight players will arrive at Australia’s Florida ​camp this week, including 2022 ​World Cup heroes Harry ⁠Souttar and Mathew Leckie.

More will follow as club seasons wind down.

Britain-based centre-back Souttar has barely played in a year and a half since an Achilles injury in late 2024, ​while 35-year-old Melbourne City winger Leckie has been on the comeback trail after ​a long recovery ⁠from hip surgery.

Popovic suggested both would be included in his final World Cup squad if they could prove their fitness in Florida, while raving about Leckie’s performance over the weekend in City’s shootout defeat by Auckland FC in the ⁠A-League ​playoffs.

“Mathew Leckie was the best player on the park at 35, ​with no football under his belt,” he said.

“That’s the difference, and that’s what you need at a World Cup. Now, will he make ​the World Cup? That will come down to his body.”

-Reuters

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