- Web Desk
- 9 Hours ago

Canadian football teams to hit the road for FIFA World Cup 2026
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- AFP
- 6 Hours ago

MONTREAL: The Toronto Argonauts and British Columbia Lions of the Canadian Football League will hit the road for home games next year while their stadiums play host to World Cup matches.
The CFL and clubs announced Friday plans for home games in early 2026 while their stadiums become the staging ground for the World Cup, which will be played from June 11 to July 19 in US, Canadian and Mexican venues.
Toronto’s BMO Field will host six World Cup matches, including the first on Canadian soil on June 12, while seven games will be contested at Vancouver’s B.C. Place, including two knockout matches next July.
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The Argonauts will play one regular-season game each at Hamilton, Winnipeg and Regina, Saskatchewan against CFL rivals based in those cities while the World Cup is being played in Toronto.
The Lions will move two home games but did not detail to which cities.
“The World Cup is a cultural event, uniting entire countries and communities under a single flag,” CFL commissioner Stewart Johnston said.
“As Toronto and Vancouver welcome the world, we’re grateful to other cities and their tremendous fans for so generously making a home away from home for the Argonauts and the Lions.”
FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers
The following is a list of teams that have qualified for the 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19.
Team | Status | Best performance |
UNITED STATES | Taking part as hosts | Third place (1930) |
MEXICO | Taking part as hosts | Quarter-finals (1970, 1986) |
CANADA | Taking part as hosts | Group stage (1986, 2022) |
JAPAN | Qualified on March, 20 | Round of 16 (2002, 2010, 2018, 2022) |
NEW ZEALAND | Qualified on March, 24 | Group stage (1982, 2010) |
IRAN | Qualified on March, 25 | stage (1978, 1998, 2006, 2014, 2018, 2022) |
ARGENTINA | Qualified on March, 25 | Winners (1978, 1986, 2022) |
UZBEKISTAN | Qualified on June, 5 | Never previously qualified. |
SOUTH KOREA | Qualified June, 5 | Fourth place (2002) |
JORDAN | Qualified June, 5 | Never previously qualified |
