Alberta’s Prime Minister Jason Kenny may have hurt Edmonton’s bid to host World Cup matches after he made requests to FIFA. (CANADIAN PRESS / Dave Cheadley)
Edmonton was not selected as one of the 16 cities to host the 2026 World Cup, which came as a big surprise to both residents and politicians.
Toronto and Vancouver have been nominated for the two Canadian hosts, as the tournament will be held in 16 cities in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
This seems to be a bipartisan problem for Alberta politicians, as party leaders remain upset and confused.
“We have presented a very convincing offer for FIFA to consider,” said Edmonton Mayor Amardjit Sohi through Diego Romero of CTV News.
We are obviously disappointed that FIFA did not choose Edmonton to host the 2026 World Cup.
Alberta Prime Minister Jason Kenny may have ruined Edmonton’s chances of hosting the tournament. According to Joe Callahan of The Toronto Star, Kenny has asked FIFA to allow the Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton to be a venue for an unspecified minimum number of games, a requirement that the sport’s governing body has opposed.
Under Kenny, the Alberta government pledged $ 110 million in March to help cover the cost of hosting the tournament. However, the promise depends on Edmonton being selected to host five of the 10 games allocated to Canadian cities, with two games in the elimination round.
The Commonwealth Stadium has a capacity of 56,400 fans, well above the minimum of 40,000 set by FIFA.
“It is a pity that football fans will not feel the beauty and vitality of Edmonton and our countryside as a whole. The Alberta government is working hard and allocating a significant amount of money to help the offer, “said Culture Minister Ron Orr. “I would like to thank the city of Edmonton for its courage and vision. Your enthusiasm for these games is remarkable. We share your disappointment with this decision. “
Edmonton has also been named as a place where Canadian superstar Alfonso Davis can shine in front of fans of his hometown. Davis, who plays as a left-back for Bayern Munich, has been a must for Canada’s candidacy so far, largely playing as a striker during qualifying.
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