Soccer

Soccer

CARRIE SERWENTYK PHOTO Canadian fans marched in a sea of red and white to Toronto Stadium Friday.

Toronto thrilled by first World Cup game on home soil

Carrie Serwetnyk 6 minute read Yesterday at 9:21 PM CDT

TORONTO — It’s only appropriate Canada’s opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup took place in the nation’s largest city. It is the World Cup, after all.

The colossal tournament, held simultaneously in Mexico and the United States, kicked off at Toronto Stadium Friday under a bright blue sky.

And it was a thriller.

A raucous crowd of 43,000 fans, most sporting red and white, turned out to see a 1-1 draw between Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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Soccer

Kevin Sousa / REUTERS Canada’s Cyle Larin’s tying goal against Bosnia and Herzegovina Friday gave life to co-host’s knock-out round push.

Canadian men have momentum in Group B after late Larin goal

Jerrad Peters 4 minute read Preview

Canadian men have momentum in Group B after late Larin goal

Jerrad Peters 4 minute read Yesterday at 7:39 PM CDT

It was a draw that felt like a win.

Had Canada lost to Bosnia-Herzegovina Friday afternoon, its home World Cup would not have been guaranteed beyond next week.

Instead, the pressure is a little bit less. And in a tournament where margins matter, less is preferable to more.

Just contemplate what almost was.

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Yesterday at 7:39 PM CDT

Soccer

RUTH BONNEVILLE / FREE PRESS Mark Seburn, who was enjoying the Canada-Bosnia and Herzegovina soccer match at X-Cues’ Café & Lounge Friday afternoon, says the sport has helped bring his family together.

Winnipeg fans celebrate Canada’s first point at World Cup — on home soil

Tiago Resko 3 minute read Preview

Winnipeg fans celebrate Canada’s first point at World Cup — on home soil

Tiago Resko 3 minute read Yesterday at 6:21 PM CDT

Winnipeg soccer fans groaned as Bosnia and Herzegovina took the early lead against Canada at the FIFA World Cup Friday afternoon.

“It’s the way it goes” said Mark Seburn, 67, one of a few dozen footy fanatics who were getting their game on at X-Cues’ Café and Lounge.

It was Canada’s first match on home soil — at Toronto Stadium.

“It’s a special moment,” Seburn said, noting he got into the sport when his children played as youngsters. He said soccer has brought their family closer together.

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Yesterday at 6:21 PM CDT

Soccer

Moises Castillo / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Spain is one of the favourites to win the 2026 World Cup. But even if the team cruises to a Group H win, history tells a different tale about tourney juggernauts. Thomas Padilla / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Head coach Didier Deschamps (right) looks to lead World Cup co-favourite Kylian Mbappé (left) and France to football’s promised land.

May the best team win… maybe

Jerrad Peters 7 minute read Preview

May the best team win… maybe

Jerrad Peters 7 minute read Wednesday, Jun. 10, 2026

The best team doesn’t always win the World Cup.

The Netherlands knows this; Hungary, too. And Brazil, the only country with five stars on its shirt, might be forgiven for wanting seven.

Those are the most famous examples, and we’ll get to them. But a number of others deserve recognition as well — none of it detracting from the teams that actually lifted the trophy.

Like Austria, for example.

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Wednesday, Jun. 10, 2026

Opinion

Arlyn McAdorey / THE CANADIAN PRESS FIFA World Cup 2026 branding is displayed on city hall during a men’s World Cup trophy tour event at Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto.

Beautiful game’s big price tag: soccer fans face record ticket costs for World Cup

Joel Schlesinger 6 minute read Preview

Beautiful game’s big price tag: soccer fans face record ticket costs for World Cup

Joel Schlesinger 6 minute read Saturday, Jun. 6, 2026

The world’s soccer fans will converge on Toronto and Vancouver in a few days for the start of the 2026 men’s World Cup, revelling in the euphoria (and deep disappointment) that often is endemic to the planet’s premier sporting event.

Undoubtedly, many hope to scream “goal” as their favoured nation scores and clinches a victory. Yet the biggest winner is arguably FIFA, the global organization running the World Cup and other vaunted soccer events.

The non-profit is forecast to rake in more than $10 billion from the event, double that of the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics.

What’s more, Canada — with Toronto and Vancouver as host cities — is expected to see an additional $3.8 billion in economic activity from the event.

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Saturday, Jun. 6, 2026

Soccer

NSL PHOTO FILES Kaylee Hunter’s (right) breakaway strike for AFC Toronto against her hometown club on Sunday was a beauty off perfect tick-tack-toe passes from teammates April Lantaigne and Nikayla Small.

Around the NSL: Heavyweight clashes; a passing clinic; and the new race for first place

Grace Anne Paizen 4 minute read Preview

Around the NSL: Heavyweight clashes; a passing clinic; and the new race for first place

Grace Anne Paizen 4 minute read Friday, Jun. 5, 2026

Remember the early edition of this column from last week? Well, how ’bout that thrilling clash between the Halifax Tides and Ottawa Rapid?

The saves from Kitchener, Ont., product Rylee Foster and Swedish phenom Mollie Eriksson alone were worth the watch.

Then the Rapid’s Jyllissa Harris banked in a rebound off a perfectly placed high boot from teammate Jung Min-Young. Then came Dorchester, Ont., native Julia Benati’s ball that bent over the fingertips of Eriksson as the home side tied the game at one-all.

Then in the chaos of the 88th minute, with Foster scrambling for a stop, the goalkeeper fumbled the save in front of Delaney Baie Pridham’s foot — who made sure to launch a strike into the net for Ottawa to take control of the game in the dying minutes.

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Friday, Jun. 5, 2026

Opinion

Arsenal must keep things boring against PSG

Arsenal must keep things boring against PSG

Jerrad Peters 5 minute read Preview

Arsenal must keep things boring against PSG

Jerrad Peters 5 minute read Friday, May. 29, 2026

It is a Champions League Final worthy of the name.

For just the 10th time in its 34 installments, Europe’s highest profile club competition has come down to a pair of domestic title winners: Arsenal of England and Paris Saint-Germain of France. Actual ‘Champions,’ in other words.

And when the match kicks off in Budapest (Saturday, 11:00 a.m., DAZN and CBS), it will become only the fourth Final to feature clubs from national capitals and the first in 55 years. That last was in the old European Cup in 1971, when Ajax of Amsterdam beat Panathinaikos of Greece.

Then there’s the fact the current holder has returned in a bid to go back-to-back, something only Real Madrid has achieved since the 1992 tournament re-brand. It was a year ago, less a day, that PSG throttled Inter Milan to win its first Champions League.

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Friday, May. 29, 2026

Soccer

NSL PHOTO Halifax Tides’ Cho so-Hyun (left) and Ottawa Rapid’s Jung Minyoung race to the ball in Week 1 action. The two club’s clash for the third time this season in a much-anticipated Friday matinee tilt.

Around the NSL: Vancouver rising; a tale of three strikes; Tides turning

Grace Anne Paizen 5 minute read Preview

Around the NSL: Vancouver rising; a tale of three strikes; Tides turning

Grace Anne Paizen 5 minute read Thursday, May. 28, 2026

Welcome to an early edition of View from Row Z! There’s a fantastic Friday night match-up in the works and it would be remiss to not give the contest a proper hype up before kickoff.

Before getting into that, let’s give some credit where credit is due: Vancouver is finally rising in the ranks.

Once again head coach Anja Heiner-Moller threw Jessica Wulf into the net and again the Japanese phenom proved the right choice.

Wulf withstood 16 shots from AFC Toronto with the Rise managing just six. The young goalkeeper also survived all five corners from the Mighty Maroons and only relinquished a goal in the second minute of added time to Richmond Hill, Ont., product Cloey Uddenberg’s foot.

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Thursday, May. 28, 2026

Soccer

KEVIN SOUSA / NSL Montreal’s Noémi Paquin (right) celebrates teammate Elyse Bennett’s (left) goal Sunday against AFC Toronto. Bennett has had a goal a game so far — including two in the season opener — for the Roses.

Around the NSL: Vancouver falling, Bennett’s boot, Montreal still perfect

Grace Anne Paizen 5 minute read Preview

Around the NSL: Vancouver falling, Bennett’s boot, Montreal still perfect

Grace Anne Paizen 5 minute read Friday, May. 15, 2026

IT’S fine and dandy to be accused of being a broken record, because… to go from the best to the worst? In one season? What’s up with that, Vancouver Rise?

Do the Calgary Wild also have zero points so far this season? Yes. But no one was necessarily expecting the Wild to come tearing out of the gates.

The defending Matheson Cup champions? Yeah, fans were expecting more from them — and rightly so.

The Rise led the league in clean sheets last season. Goalkeeper Morgan McAslan recorded nine shutouts and received the 2025 Golden Glove award.

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Friday, May. 15, 2026

Opinion

DARRYL DYCK / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES FIFA president Gianni Infantino has defended the ticket pricing by comparing the World Cup fixture list to a series of Super Bowls kicking off up to four times each day.

World Cup trolling takes to the air

Jerrad Peters 4 minute read Preview

World Cup trolling takes to the air

Jerrad Peters 4 minute read Friday, May. 15, 2026

You know you’ve done something very, very foolish when an airline is trolling you.

People don’t generally like airlines. Or, they’re at least apathetic to them — relying on the check-in staff, flight attendants, pilots and actual planes to get them from one place to another, preferably safe and sound and with a modicum of dignity.

The soaring price of jet fuel, a consequence of the pumpkin patch baby’s Iranian adventure, and resulting rise in fares has only made the carriers even more unpopular.

They know it. They also know they’ve still got a healthier brand, somehow, than FIFA.

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Friday, May. 15, 2026

Opinion

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Real Madrid’s Federico Valverde (left) won’t be on the bus for Sunday’s Clásico in Barcelona after a Thursday punch-up with teammate Aurélien Tchouaméni.

Real Madrid president Pérez’s apathy like a wound in salt

Jerrad Peters 5 minute read Preview

Real Madrid president Pérez’s apathy like a wound in salt

Jerrad Peters 5 minute read Friday, May. 8, 2026

You know the schoolyard is out of control when parents’ phone calls to the office are the least of the principal’s worries.

Fisticuffs that end up requiring wheelchairs and trips to the hospital? Now those are actual problems. And when a third of the students simply refuse to acknowledge their teacher’s existence, you’ve got something deep-rooted on your hands.

Administration can only do so much. At some point the little brats must learn to play nice. Otherwise, they risk suspension from Escuela de Valdebebas.

Already, Federico Valverde and Dani Ceballos won’t be on the bus for Sunday’s field trip to Barcelona.

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Friday, May. 8, 2026

Opinion

LUCA BRUNO / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Inter Milan is on the verge of its third Scudetto in five years win on top of making it to the Coppa Italia final, but other Italian soccer scandals have detracted from the club’s exceptional run.

Nerazzurri on brink of 21st Scudetto… not that anyone’s talking about it

Jerrad Peters 5 minute read Preview

Nerazzurri on brink of 21st Scudetto… not that anyone’s talking about it

Jerrad Peters 5 minute read Friday, May. 1, 2026

Inter Milan will likely win its 21st Scudetto on Sunday. And if not Sunday, then next Saturday. And if not then…well, it will have.

Should Napoli and AC Milan lose to Como and Sassuolo, respectively, it would even be champions before kicking off against Parma at San Siro (1:45 p.m., FuboTV).

Typically, an imminent title would be the main talking point — and by some distance — in the days before that title is won. It would also be expected that this Inter group would get its flowers, what with the next few weeks being a sort of last hurrah.

Goalkeepers Yann Sommer and Raffaele Di Gennaro, defenders Stefan de Vrij, Francesco Acerbi and Benjamin Pavard (who has spent this season on loan to Marseille), wing-back Matteo Darmian and playmaker Henrikh Mkhitaryan are all out of contract in June. Federico Dimarco and Hakan Çalhanoglu have another year remaining on theirs, but the latter will almost certainly depart at that point, if not before.

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Friday, May. 1, 2026

Opinion

ALEX TODD / IMAGO Heart of Midlothian’s Lawrence Shankland celebrates a goal against Celtic. Hearts are currently at the top of the Scottish Premier league pack and has pulled out wins over both Old Firm teams — Celtic and Rangers — so far this season.

Moneyball — Scottish Premier league style

Jerrad Peters 5 minute read Preview

Moneyball — Scottish Premier league style

Jerrad Peters 5 minute read Friday, Apr. 24, 2026

The numbers don’t lie.

As the Scottish Premiership gets set for its annual split, when the 12-team league divides in two for the final five games of the season, first-place Heart of Midlothian is targeting a most unlikely title and its first since 1960, when Tommy Walker’s side topped the table twice in three years.

With 70 points from 33 matches, Hearts has a one-point lead on Rangers and a three-point advantage over Celtic — the Old Firm that has finished champions every spring since 1985. Nothing and no one suggested that would change this term, especially after Hearts came an unremarkable seventh just 11 months ago.

That is, nothing but a mysterious supercomputer and no one except Tony Bloom, the gambler-slash-entrepreneur-slash-data geek who bought a minority stake in the club last summer. He intuited that Hearts would challenge for the title immediately and would win it, and break up the Old Firm, within a decade.

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Friday, Apr. 24, 2026

Opinion

DAVE SHOPLAND / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Arsenal’s Declan Rice (centre) said he and his teammates are ready to make a “massive statement” against Manchester City on Sunday.

Arsenal sputtering? There’s a joke for that

Jerrad Peters 6 minute read Preview

Arsenal sputtering? There’s a joke for that

Jerrad Peters 6 minute read Friday, Apr. 17, 2026

“What’s the difference between Arsenal and a book? A book has a title.”

Sure, go ahead and laugh. Everyone’s having a bit of fun — even Arsenal fans, albeit in a morbid sense. But let’s none of us quit our day jobs, especially when the jokes write themselves.

Like the one last weekend, when the Gunners lost 2-1 at home to Bournemouth. Although, with The Cherries in 13th place prior to kickoff, it seemed inevitable that the host’s luck was about to run out.

Only, luck had little to do with what happened at Emirates Stadium (which is apparently the ideal landing spot for aliens, as it has no atmosphere). Nor was Bournemouth, despite its victory, the protagonist of the story.

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Friday, Apr. 17, 2026

Opinion

THIBAULT CAMUS / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES New Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi’s hyped-up, drill-sergeant style isn’t likely to mesh well with Spurs’ semi-fit, injury-prone and psychologically brittle players, Jerrad Peters writes.

De Zerbi wrong fit for sliding Spurs

Jerrad Peters 6 minute read Preview

De Zerbi wrong fit for sliding Spurs

Jerrad Peters 6 minute read Friday, Apr. 10, 2026

When Tottenham Hotspur visits Sunderland on Sunday (8:00 a.m., FuboTV), the North London outfit and Europa League holders will have gone 105 days without a win in the Premier League.

Count them back, and it takes you into last year. Thomas Frank was still in charge when, three days after Christmas, Archie Gray delivered a 1-0 triumph away to Crystal Palace. That was two managers and a lifetime ago. Back when there was hope, even if just a bit.

Oh, to be 11th again.

When the opening whistle blows at the Stadium of Light, Spurs will be in the relegation places — leapfrogged by West Ham, which beat dead-last Wolves on Friday.

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Friday, Apr. 10, 2026

Opinion

CHRIS YOUNG / THE CANADIAN PRESS Canada’s Tani Oluwaseyi leaps over Tunisia’s Omar Rekik during the teams’ 0-0 draw on Tuesday. The way all three World Cup co-hosts — Canada, the United States and Mexico — have played recently has raised the concern that the second knockout stage may be as far as the co-hosts can reasonably advance.

All signs pointing to bloated boondoggle of a World Cup

Jerrad Peters 6 minute read Preview

All signs pointing to bloated boondoggle of a World Cup

Jerrad Peters 6 minute read Friday, Apr. 3, 2026

Canada’s senior men’s soccer team dropped one place to 30th in the latest FIFA ranking, released Wednesday.

Now, rankings, like political polls, are snapshots in time and tell us little about how a group of players — affected by injuries, returns from injuries, new call-ups and individual streaks of form, good or bad — will fare against Uzbekistan on June 1, for example, or against Bosnia and Herzegovina 11 days later in a home World Cup.

The United States, too, dropped a spot to 16th, swapping places with Mexico, now in 15th. Again, these numbers are not informed by rigorous data, so we can’t read too much into them.

What we can do, however, is examine recent results and anticipate what FIFA would consider its World Cup nightmare: the tournament’s North American co-hosts crashing out at the group stage.

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Friday, Apr. 3, 2026

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