It has been 2,918 days since FIFA announced that a united bid of Canada, Mexico and the United States would host the 2026 World Cup.

On Friday, it all becomes reality, the World Cup is officially being played in Canada for the first time.

We’ve been talking about this moment for so long that maybe we’ve all gotten a little desensitized to how special this truly is. So take a moment this week to soak it all in, because no matter how far Canada goes in this competition, it is sure to fly by in an instant.

And allow us to help build that hype in this week’s pre-World Cup edition of The Northern Pitch.

It’s starting to feel real, and all of the emotions are hitting at once.

Excitement, for the most talented Canadian team ever, as they look to embody what their enthusiastic and belief-fuelled coach has instilled in them over the past few years.

Pride in how far Canadian soccer has come to reach this point, that despite itself sometimes, so many fans, players, coaches, and administrators have continued to believe and push the nation to new heights.

Nervousness surrounding the fact that we still don’t know when or if Alphonso Davies can play—not to mention a bunch of other injuries—and whether or not this team can live up to the hype and perform on the biggest stage.

Even a bit of disappointment, for those like Marcelo Flores and likely Moïse Bombito, who won’t get to live that dream due to injury.

As Canada steps onto the pitch against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Friday at BMO Field, it is a dream come true for so many. But in sports, there is always the unknown of the final result, which can change so much.

This is the World Cup, and even with 48 teams, there are no easy matches no matter what anybody says. This is the dream of every single player, coach and fan from every country competing. Everyone is going to give their ‘A’ game.

Canada open the tournament against a Bosnian team who know how to play in intense games. They eliminated Wales on penalties in Cardiff. They took down Italy in Zenica. They only lost once in all of World Cup qualification.

Fans will undoubtedly know the name Edin Džeko, who at 40 remains lethal as ever. But this is a talented team, especially defensively and Canada will need to reach a much higher level than they have lately to break them down and start the tournament on the front foot.

Take a deep breath, shed a few tears if you need to, but enjoy it as much as you can. This is going to be an unforgettable few weeks.

That was a proper send-off. Les Rouges played their final friendly in Montreal’s Stade Saputo against Ireland last Friday evening. The CanMNT displayed an impressive performance but were unable to secure a dub.

This felt like a World Cup. Montreal will not be a World Cup host, arguably, for good reason. However, this game gave Montrealers a taste of what a World Cup game would be like against an opposition that are World Cup veterans. Above all, the supporters at a sold-out Stade Saputo made the game feel like a World Cup match-up. Immaculate vibes.

The result of the night was less immaculate. Canada had a strong overall performance, dominating the game. They exposed Ireland in the first half and forced an own goal off a corner kick. In the second half, Ireland stepped up their performance and won a penalty. The game ended 1-1.

The Montreal boys turned up. Maxime Crépeau and Ismaël Koné had a standout performance in front of their home crowd. Max had denied a 1-on-1 save against Mason Melia while Koné played as if it were a final. Nathan Saliba and Zorhan Bassong earned minutes in front of their home crowd, while Mathieu Choinière remained on the bench.

Shout out to the Irish fans. Trust the Irish to always bring the vibe, and in a city with one of the oldest Irish communities in Canada, they were massive.

Commissioner Don Garber visited La Belle Province. Garber’s visit created a stir in Montréal as he arrived to visit the renovations on the Olympic Stadium’s roof. Prior to the press conference, many speculated that this would be related to CF MTL’s future, and it was.

The Don wants to keep CF in Montreal. During the press conference at Stade Saputo, Garber made it clear that his intentions are to keep CFM in Montreal. With the MLS switching to a winter schedule in 2027, the commissioner intends for the club to play at the Big O by 2018.

“I was blown away.” The commissioner was given an hour-long presentation on what the Olympic Stadium could look like. The presentation demonstrated the ongoing roof renovations, with artist renderings of what the interior could look like if the government were to proceed with the interior renovations. Garber said the interior renovations would cost $500 million, but the provincial government has not confirmed the price tag or the interior plans.

What does this mean for Stade Saputo? It appears that Don Garber and the MLS are galvanizing Saputo to innovate within the club and move it into the Big O. Stade Saputo will not wither away in abandonment.

Supra du Québec and les Roses de Montréal want a new home. The NSL club have announced that the Roses will play against the Halifax Tides on August 29th. A major milestone for both the NSL club and the venue's history. Supra are looking for a new home outside of Laval after 2026. If CFM were to move, Stade Saputo could be the future home for both clubs.

In the meantime, until the stadium is complete, CF Montréal will play more away games during the winter period. It is a temporary solution.

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🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Cyle Larin joins Southampton. The Brampton Bagsman is officially a Saint — permanently. His deal wasn’t automatically triggered after Spygate saw the Saints dumped out of the playoffs, but, he’s joined them anyways on a two-year deal with a further option for 2029.

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🐴 Cavalry win in Marco Carducci’s return. It must’ve been a bit of a weird sight as the Roman Wall lined up on the other side of ATCO Field for the first time. Carducci’s Wanderers couldn’t match his former Cavalry side as Adam Pearlman danced through his back line to connect with Daan Klomp, while Goteh Ntignee scored a GOLAZO in a 2-0 finish.

🔱 Pacific still hunting for a win. The rain came down in Québec this week, and it came down hard. The CPL visited Stade TELUS for the first time this season and the torrential downpour was somewhat fitting for Vancouver Island’s Tridents as Alejandro Díaz opened the scoring. Super Sean Rea struck back though, to ensure yet another draw for both sides, as it ended 1-1.

🔨 Forge take 905 Derby bragging rights. Again. The Hammers have now won at least a point in the last 12 rivalry matches against the Nine Stripes, and this time, it wasn’t particularly close. Marko Jevremovic had the pick of the bunch with an inch-perfect free kick, but Hoce Massunda, Tristan Borges and Harry Paton all contributed. Max Ferrari had Toronto’s lone goal in the 4-1 result.

🦅 Vancouver earned a dub over the champs. VFC hosted Atletico Ottawa last Friday and defeated the away side in a 2-1 upset. Vancouver took their chances and scored both their goals in the second half. While Ottawa controlled possession, VFC’s game plan was air-tight and irritated Ottleti’s forwards. Atletico were able to find a goal from a Ballou Tabla finish.

⚜️ Supra sign Zachary Fernandez. The former Halifax and Valour right-back has signed with the club for the 2026 season with an option for 2027. The Laval-born baller joins Supra with 93 appearances under his belt.

Tuesday, June 9
Atlético Ottawa vs Supra du Québec (7 PM ET @ TD Place)

Wednesday, June 10
Forge FC vs. Halifax Wanderers (7 PM ET @ Hamilton Stadium)
Inter Toronto FC vs. Cavalry FC (7:30 PM ET @ York Lions Stadium)

Sunday, June 14
Vancouver FC vs. Pacific FC (3 PM PT @ Willoughby Community Park)
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🌹 The Roses to play in Stade Saputo. NSL’s Montréal Roses and MLS’s CF Montréal have made a historic announcement in which the Roses will play a game at Stade Saputo. The Roses will host the Halifax Tides at Stade Saputo on August 29th. Objective: sell-out stadium.

Saturday, June 13
Halifax Tides vs. Calgary Wild (1:30 PM AT @ Wanderers Grounds)
AFC Toronto vs. Montréal Roses (4 PM ET @ York Lions Stadium)

Sunday, June 14
Vancouver Rise vs. Ottawa Rapid (2 PM PT @ Swangard Stadium)

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