The 2026 World Cup in Canada will feature a single official training facility in Toronto located at Centennial Park. Construction is underway and the facility will be ready for the tournament. The city of Vancouver has also shifted its plans for training facilities.
The 2026 World Cup in Canada will feature a single official training facility in Toronto , located at Centennial Park in Etobicoke. Construction on this new pitch and field house is already underway, coinciding with a separate 10-year plan to revitalize the park, which commemorated Canada 's centennial in 1967. Centennial Park has a rich history as a former dairy farm, boasting various playgrounds, sports fields, and amenities.
The World Cup training facility will be an integral part of the park but distinct from the existing Rob Ford Stadium, formerly known as Centennial Park Stadium.The facility's future post-World Cup is uncertain, but discussions are underway with several professional soccer teams in the city. The goal is to secure a long-term use for the facility that benefits both the teams and the community. Bollenbach, the executive director of FIFA World Cup 2026 for the City of Toronto, emphasized the importance of community access as a legacy element of the tournament.Toronto initially planned for multiple training sites, but this has been scaled down to a single pitch at Centennial Park. This single pitch will primarily be utilized the day before matches, according to Bollenbach. The estimated cost for the Toronto training facility is $20 million, ensuring its long-term usability beyond the tournament. Concurrently, work is progressing at BMO Field to increase its capacity to 45,000 for the World Cup. The bulk of the stadium renovations will take place between November and March, taking into consideration the schedules of Toronto FC and the CFL Argonauts. The initial phase focuses on laying the foundation for the second phase, which will involve installing temporary seating in the south and north ends of the stadium.The existing video board in the north end will be replaced with four new boards positioned at the corners of the lakefront venue. The new screens, along with a revamped sound system, lighting, and accessibility improvements, are intended to create a lasting legacy for the tournament.Vancouver has also made adjustments to its training facility plans, abandoning its proposal to use Memorial South Park due to community concerns about the extended closure. The city now aims to utilize the National Soccer Development Centre at UBC. A letter of intent has been signed by the university, Vancouver Whitecaps, and the City of Vancouver. Construction on Vancouver's second training site, Killarney Park, is slated for completion by December. This facility will include grass soccer pitches, field lights, locker rooms, and a press conference room.Killarney Park will be closed to the public until fall 2026. However, organizers anticipate that the improvements will transform the park into a grass sports field with lights and a drainage irrigation system. The men's soccer showcase has expanded to 48 teams in 2026. Besides Toronto and Vancouver, the tournament will encompass 14 host cities, with 11 located in the U.S. and three in Mexico. The event is scheduled to run from June 11 to July 19, 2026, with Canada hosting 13 of the 104 matches
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