With the 2026 FIFA World Cup set to take place in North America, a new Leger poll, conducted in collaboration with Brain Research, reveals that, while Canadians are aware and supportive of the tournament, they are not nearly as invested as fans in Mexico, where soccer culture is much stronger.
According to the findings, 57% of Canadians say they are aware that Canada, the United States, and Mexico will co-host the World Cup next year, a level of awareness that trails behind Mexico (86%) but surpasses the U.S. (44%).
While excitement is clearly growing, Canadians remain more moderate in both engagement and concern as the event approaches.
Canadians Show Strong Support for Hosting World Cup Matches
A solid majority of Canadians (73%) say they support their country hosting World Cup matches — far below Mexico’s 91%, but above American support at 69%.
Only 12% of Canadians oppose the idea of Canada hosting games, suggesting that public consensus remains largely positive.
Fan Engagement: Canada Trails Far Behind Mexico
When asked how closely they plan to follow the event, 28% of Canadians say they will follow the World Cup “very closely” or “closely”, compared to 78% of Mexicans and 26% of Americans. This places Canada far closer to the U.S. in viewing habits than to Mexico, where fan engagement is exceptionally high.
The contrast becomes even more striking in planned behaviours:
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- Only 38% of Canadians say they expect to follow World Cup news, versus 84% of Mexicans doing the same.
Mexico also leads sharply in purchasing merchandise (57%) and attending matches in person (49%).
Canadian and American supporters appear to be more moderate, with lower levels of consumer and travel engagement.
Who Canadians Will Cheer For at the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
Still, national pride is strong. In each country, respondents say they will cheer for their own national team.
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- 67% of Canadians say they will cheer for Team Canada
- 58% of Americans say Team USA
- 80% of Mexicans say Team Mexico
Canadian fans also list England, France, Brazil, and Argentina among their secondary favourites — similar to global soccer trends.
Top Concerns About Hosting: Canadians Focus on Public Spending
Canadians express different concerns than Americans and Mexicans about hosting the World Cup. Canadians fret over costs, Mexicans over chaos — and Americans? Not much at all.
In Canada, respondents express the most concern about public spending and taxpayer costs (63%).
South of the border, U.S. respondents show the lowest concern overall, especially about venue readiness (32%).
Meanwhile, concern is strongest in Mexico, reflecting the country’s higher level of expected engagement and logistical complexity. Mexicans are particularly concerned about traffic, security, and protests.
A Continent-Wide Event with Continent-Sized Differences
Taken together, the results paint a picture of three co-hosts with very different relationships to the World Cup. While Mexicans are intensely and widely engaged, Canadians are supportive but cautious. They are proud to host the event, but they are less invested in its day-to-day spectacle.
In the U.S., there is moderate awareness and engagement, as well as lower levels of concern overall.
Despite these contrasts, all three countries show strong national pride and a clear desire to support their own teams in 2026.
Methodology
This online survey was conducted among 1,521 Canadian residents, 1,016 American residents and 600 Mexican residents, aged 18 or older, between November 14 and 16, 2025. Respondents were randomly recruited through LEO’s online panel in Canada and the U.S., and by our partner Brain Research in Mexico. Results were weighted by age, gender, region, language, education, and household composition.
A margin of error cannot be associated with a non-probability sample in a panel survey. For comparison, a probability sample of this size would have a margin of error of ±2.5% (19 times out of 20) for the Canadian sample, ±3.08%, (19 times out of 20) for the American sample, and ±4%, (19 times out of 20) for the Mexican sample.
