By Iain Axon
VANCOUVER, Canada, May 5 (Reuters) - 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."
(Reporting by Iain Axon; Writing by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru;Editing by Toby Davis)
