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With the start of the 2026 Soccer World Cup, for many football fans, Montreal had all the necessary assets to be there for the biggest sporting event on the planet. Its absence among the Canadian host cities leaves an unfinished feeling and still fuels today the regret of having missed an event which would have generated significant economic benefits for the French-speaking metropolis of North America. Is the decision of the Quebec government to give up hosting matches of this competition in Montreal, which still continues to cause incomprehension, legitimate?<\/p>\n
After Canada, the United States and Mexico won the organization of the 2026 Football World Cup, many observers expected to see Montreal among the host cities of this competition, especially since the metropolis presents solid assets to host an event of such scale. Montreal enjoys international influence, an attractive city which has built a great reputation for organizing international events (1967 Universal Exhibition, 1976 Olympic Games, 2015 Women’s Football World Cup, Formula 1 Grand Prix and numerous international festivals and congresses). Montrealers’ passion for football also presents a solid argument. Long considered a secondary sport in the land of hockey, soccer has experienced meteoric growth in recent decades in the metropolis. Also, a World Cup contested on a French-speaking land with a particular cultural identity would have offered a different experience from those offered by American and Mexican cities. With so many weighty arguments, why then did Montreal give up on the 2026 World Cup?<\/p>\n
The answer to this question is above all monetary. The costs relating to infrastructure upgrades, FIFA security requirements and the organization of matches amounted to a whopping $1 billion in public funds. This initial sum was revised upwards due to inflation and, according to the investigation carried out by Romain Schu\u00e9, journalist at Radio-Canada, the 13 matches organized in Canada would have cost between one and two billion Canadian dollars. In addition, FIFA demanded that no major sporting or cultural events be held during the competition, while requisitioning strategic sites such as the Old Port and Jean-Drapeau Park. Montreal would thus have been forced to suspend several emblematic events which contribute to its international influence with a significant shortfall, notably the Formula 1 Grand Prix, the International Jazz Festival and the Francos de Montr\u00e9al. Furthermore, in his investigation entitled \u201cFIFA: the slot machine\u201d, the journalist, Romain Schu\u00e9, reveals that the exceptional economic benefits announced by FIFA, estimated at 3.8 billion Canadian dollars, are based on projections considered unrealistic. He underlines in particular that the revenues generated by ticketing (already very expensive) and by advertising are collected exclusively by FIFA, which also demands tax exemptions from the governments of the host countries.<\/p>