As the FIFA World Cup unfolds across Canada, Mexico and the United States, the tournament is becoming harder for Canadians to miss. Awareness has climbed sharply: 89% of Canadians now know that North America is hosting the event, up from 69% in March 2026 and 57% in November 2025.
Support remains broad, engagement is more selective, and many Canadians are choosing lower-commitment ways to take part, from watching games at home to following updates online. At the same time, concerns about public spending continue to shape how Canadians view the country’s role as a host.
Support Remains Broad, But Not Automatic
In our latest survey, 72% of Canadians support Canada hosting the World Cup. This remains relatively stable compared with March 2026 and November 2025, when support stood at 74% and 73%, respectively.
That stability is notable: awareness of the tournament has increased significantly over time, but support has not grown at the same pace. Opposition now stands at 16%, up from 12% in March.
Not surprisingly, awareness is strongest closest to the action. Ontarians are more likely to identify Toronto as a host city, while British Columbians are more likely to identify Vancouver.
Engagement Is Mostly Happening At Home
Only one quarter of Canadians, 25%, say they are following the World Cup closely, while 74% say they are following it only a little or not at all. Men aged 18 to 34 are more likely to be following the tournament closely.
For many Canadians, the World Cup experience is mostly happening through easy, accessible touchpoints:
- 45% are following news or social media about the event.
- 42% are watching games at home or at a friend or family member’s home.
- 17% are pairing at-home viewing with takeout.
More active forms of participation remain more limited:
- 12% are watching games at a pub, bar or restaurant.
- 9% are visiting one of the World Cup host cities.
- 8% are attending an official watch party.
For brands, destinations, broadcasters and hospitality businesses, the opportunity is clear: the World Cup may be a global spectacle, but many Canadians are engaging with it in more casual, everyday ways. Campaigns that make the tournament feel social, accessible and worth joining may resonate more than messages that assume everyone is already deeply invested.
Public Spending Remains The Pressure Point
Canadians’ concerns about hosting are led by questions of cost and value:
- 63% are concerned about the use of taxpayer funds or government spending.
- 49% are concerned about traffic and transit congestion.
- 38% are concerned about potential protests and security disruptions.
- 34% are concerned about the availability and cost of accommodations for tourists.
- 24% are concerned about the readiness of venues.
Some concerns have softened over time. Concern about protests and security disruptions is down from 48% in March 2026, while concern about venue readiness has declined from 32% in November 2025 to 24% in July 2026.
Still, public spending remains the top concern, showing that Canadians’ views of the World Cup are shaped not only by sport or national pride, but also by questions about infrastructure, public investment and whether the benefits of hosting feel tangible.
For governments, host cities and organizations, this is where the communications challenge sits: connecting the excitement of the tournament to community, local pride, tourism and economic activity, while acknowledging the public opinion concerns Canadians continue to raise.
Methodology
This study is based on an online survey of 1,505 Canadian residents aged 18 and older, conducted from July 3 to 6, 2026, using Leger’s LEO online panel. Results were weighted according to age, gender, mother tongue, region, education and presence of children in the household to ensure a representative sample of the Canadian population. For comparison purposes, a probability sample of this size would have a margin of error of ±2.53%, 19 times out of 20.
