Well before the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off, you can get primed for the planet’s most-watched sports event in Vancouver and Toronto, the Canadian host cities. Co-hosted with the U.S. and Mexico (June 11 to July 19, 2026), this will be the biggest soccer tournament of all time, with the format upgrading from 32 national teams to 48.

Whether you’re cheering for the home side, defending champion Argentina, or another contender like England or Brazil, sporty, tasty, and artsy pre-tournament options abound for savvy explorers.

It’s Time to Make History

A great starting point is to catch future World Cup players in action at a Vancouver Whitecaps FC or Toronto FC home match. Beyond the excitement of Major League Soccer (MLS) games, both clubs periodically host friendlies with global star power attached. For instance, the Whitecaps welcomed Wrexham AFC – co-owned by Vancouver-raised Hollywood icon Ryan Reynolds – in July 2024.

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Vancouver’s BC Place Stadium – the 54,000-capacity venue for mega-events from the 2010 Olympic opening and closing ceremonies to three 2024 Taylor Swift concerts – is also home to the BC Sports Hall of Fame. Check out intriguing artifacts like the soccer ball from the Whitecaps’ first match ever against the San Jose Earthquakes on May 5, 1974.

Soccer Art and Apparel in Toronto and Vancouver

Eager to make a fashion statement that reflects your passion for soccer? Head to Toronto’s The Sport Gallery in the Distillery District, where you can score stylish retro-themed apparel like an England 1966 World Cup poster shirt or socks commemorating Diego Maradona’s infamous 1986 “Hand of God” goal. Black-and-white framed photos of football legends like Pele and Franz Beckenbauer are also available.

For football fans, the visual feast goes further. You can view Instagram-worthy public art like the 26-ton granite sculpture of an Inuit soccer player at Toronto’s York University. Or keep an eye out for artwork by Vancouver’s Carling Jackson, a former college soccer player whose artistic feats include painting murals of superstars like France’s Kylian Mbappé at the 2022 World Cup.

Eat and Drink Like a Superstar

Pre-scouting is vital in top-level sports, and it’s not too early to pre-scout the diverse cocktails at cosmopolitan venues near the World Cup stadiums.

Just a short walk from BMO Field, Toronto FC’s home, Black Sheep lures Liberty Village visitors with signature cocktails like The Chosen One (Gordon’s Gin, strawberry-basil simple syrup, lime juice, grenadine, sparkling water). Nestled on the edge of Vancouver’s Chinatown, the award-winning Keefer Bar boasts refreshing concoctions like Unpredicted Season #2 (Cazadores Blanco tequila, Cointreau, salted plum, lime).

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Food-wise, both cities burgeon with football-friendly eateries that show all the big games. Try Vancouver’s Caffè Soccavo on Commercial Drive for mouthwatering margherita pizzas and tiramisu. Downtown, Red Card Sports Bar’s rigatoni all’Amatriciana and New York cheesecake are also delightfully decadent.

In Toronto, the 1978-founded Scotland Yard Pub, a go-to gathering place for Tottenham fans, dishes up British classics like shepherd’s pie and bangers and mash.

More Soccer-Themed Fun in Vancouver and Toronto

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Ready to burn some calories off? You can tackle endurance challenges that appeal to pro soccer players, such as North Vancouver’s Grouse Grind. It’s a near-vertical 2.9-km trail on Grouse Mountain, which former Whitecaps stalwart Russell Teibert once climbed in an impressive 33:44. (Less-athletic first-timers should budget closer to two hours.) Upon reaching the top of the Grind, you can opt to take the new Blue Grouse Gondola down.

For a lively group outing, the La Liga Toronto sports complex offers three indoor soccer courts measuring 105 by 50 feet apiece, enabling players of all ages to do their best Alphonso Davies or Erling Haaland imitations.

You can also hit up Vancouver’s Pacific National Exhibition (PNE), slated to host the FIFA Fan Festival, according to city officials. When the tournament begins in 2026, fans will enjoy watching thrilling World Cup matches on the big screen at a state-of-the-art amphitheatre. This past summer, the PNE Fair entertained guests with musical acts from Bachman-Turner Overdrive (BTO) to Brad Paisley and offered exciting rides like Playland’s new ThunderVolt roller coaster. The PNE Fair concert schedule for the upcoming summer should be announced soon.

A Bright Future for Soccer in Canada

Toronto and Vancouver will each host seven World Cup matches. And you can debate whether Torontonians are more fortunate to get Canada’s first World Cup home game ever (June 12, 2026) or whether Vancouverites own bragging rights with the next two Canadian group-stage matches – plus a round of 16 game. Yet what’s indisputable is that soccer is growing Canada-wide.

That includes the women’s game. In 2025, Vancouver – also the venue for the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup final – joins Toronto and four other cities in the brand-new Northern Super League, Canada’s first women’s pro soccer league. Vancouver Rise FC, co-owned by Canadian soccer legend Christine Sinclair, plays its home matches at Swangard Stadium. AFC Toronto, featuring a diverse roster from Canadian forward Jade Kovacevic to Finnish goalkeeper Sofia Manner, welcomes fans to York Lions Stadium.

It should all add up to monumental passion and excitement when the 2026 FIFA World Cup finally gets underway.