Canada to face Switzerland, Qatar and European playoff winner in FIFA World Cup 2026

It was a big day for soccer fans Friday as the FIFA World Cup 2026 draw was held.

The draw determines which teams will face each other this summer and which teams will face Canada with some of the matches scheduled to happen in Toronto.

Canada’s draw for this summer’s World Cup started well with Switzerland and Qatar, but the fourth team in the group is yet to be determined and one of those teams could be Italy.

While all this was going on, Prime Minister Mark Carney was at the draw in Washington at one point with President Donald Trump.

“We’re up for anyone,” said Carney.

On the red carpet before the draw, the prime minister said soccer has strong roots in Canada.

“This is the number one sport for Canadian youth — Canadian boys and girls,” said Carney. “Two thirds of Canadians watched the last World Cup.”

Before the pageantry began inside, Carney could be seen speaking with President Trump.

Then the two and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum kicked off the draw to divide the 48 teams, all picking their respective nations.

Canada in Group B.

The draw determined Qatar and Switzerland to be in that group, as well as the winner of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Playoff A, which hasn’t been determined yet.

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That could be Northern Ireland, Wales, Bosnia, Herzegovina or Italy.

“I think it’s a nice blend between a competitive advantage,” said Tom Walker, the director of ticket sales and service at Hamilton’s Forge FC. “I think Canada avoided a lot of the big hitters that were in a lot of the pots, but obviously sets them up for a challenge as well. No team in the World Cup is a ‘walk over’ and of course you got that mystery pot — the European teams that are in there and the headline being Italy.”

Walker says the tournament in Canada could have massive impacts.

“More kids playing, more people buying merchandise, more people following social media accounts, more people seeking out their local professional team — this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for Canadian soccer,” said Walker.

There are two matches to note: Canada will play on June 12 at Toronto stadium, where they will play the winner of UEFA Playoff A; another interesting match could be the June 26 match at Toronto stadium.

That match involved Group I, which has Norway and currently someone who is considered one of the best players in the world right now: Erling Haaland.

With all this excitement Western University director of kinesiology Laura Misener says the World Cup coming to Canada creates a good opportunity to bring communities together.

“One of the things that you’ll see happening in the communities that are hosting, in Toronto and the Vancouver area, is communities beginning to come together to think about how they can use the opportunity that the event brings to develop community, potentially increase sport participation, and have these outcomes,” said Misener. “Because hosting an event — it doesn’t do it in and of itself. There has to be some strategy behind it.”

The full tournament schedule is slated for release Saturday.

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