The recent FIFA World Cup appears to have reshaped Canada's sporting tastes, with new polling suggesting the tournament drew nearly 2 million Canadians into a new interest in soccer. That surge, according to the numbers, has been enough to push the sport past baseball and into second place among the games Canadians most like to watch, trailing only hockey.
The momentum was propelled by a historic run from Canada's national men's team, which advanced further into the World Cup than ever before by reaching the round of 16. Players said the achievement was a big moment, and one that fans embraced, with supporters described as all in during the team's deepest-ever push on the world stage.
Soccer was already the most played sport in Canada, but the survey, taken in the final days of the World Cup, points to a shift in how the country watches sport as well. Soccer now ranks as Canadians' second favourite sport to watch, ahead of baseball, basketball and football, a notable reordering of the national sporting landscape.
The generational and demographic breakdown was especially striking. Soccer ranked number one among Canadians aged 18 to 29 and among those not born in Canada, pointing to a fan base rooted in younger viewers and newcomers. Observers said the trend reflects how much the country itself is changing, even as hockey remains number one overall and a core part of national identity.
The pattern echoes past moments when Canadian success in a sport translated into a lasting bump in participation. Baseball Canada said registrations for youth baseball programs soared this spring after the Blue Jays' playoff run, while youth enrollment in basketball increased 35 percent after the Raptors' NBA championship in 2019, examples of how a marquee run can grow a sport at the grassroots level.
Boosters of the game see the World Cup as a similar inflection point, with Canada Soccer saying the moment showed Canadians have room in their hearts for more than one sport. Some analysts cautioned it may take another generation, and another win on the world stage, to fully cement soccer's place, but with the Women's World Cup next summer and hopes that both national teams reach Los Angeles in 2028, supporters are betting the momentum will carry forward.