Canada automatically qualifies for FIFA 2026 World Cup

Canada, Mexico and the U.S. – the three host countries of the 2026 World Cup – will automatically qualify for the competition, FIFA confirmed Wednesday.

The long-standing tradition of having the host nations participate in the competition will continue, with the global soccer agency saying the three would avoid the preliminary matches.

This is the first time FIFA is approving three host nations passing the qualifying stage automatically.

TSN's coverage of Canada's men and women national soccer teams

The 2022 World Cup was the first time in 36 years that the Canadian men's team qualified. Canada lost in all group-stage games. The automatic entry into the 2026 tournament is positive for Canada Soccer, which is building a young team.

Vancouver and Toronto are among the host cities for the 2026 World Cup, with games being held at BC Place and the BMO field.

The CONCACAF tournament will also see changes in the number of teams playing with FIFA approving an expansion from 32 teams to 48, with six allocated spots to qualify, including the three host nations.

This announcement comes as FIFA highlighted its record-breaking revenue of US$7.6 billion during the 2019 to 2022 cycle. The agency expects to earn US$11 billion during the 2023 to 2026 period, the FIFA press release states.

Bids to host the Women's World Cup in 2027 are being approved by the FIFA Council next month. The 2030 FIFA World Cup bid approval process will start in June 2023.

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