Can Canada handle a World Cup soccer boom? Fields, coaches and funding remain major concerns

On most evenings in Toronto, the fourth-largest city in North America, and in other major cities, it's common to see four or five teams splitting a pitch.

In the winter, it can be even more extreme, when inclement weather forces everyone but those on the West Coast into limited indoor facilities.

"Indoor facilities are very important, as well as outdoor turf fields," says Misley. "We want to place ourselves in the best spot so we can show them what the beautiful game is all about, and hopefully, as a legacy piece of the World Cup, we can convert all that excitement into more players, more coaches, more referees, more volunteers and more economic growth."

Canadian soccer will get some new infrastructure from the World Cup.

Still, the tournament will have far less of a legacy on the country's sporting fabric than the Olympics in 1976, 1988 and 2010, when new facilities were built en masse in Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver, helping push Canada's elite sports sector to record-level performances in subsequent Olympic Games.

"One of the biggest gaps in Canada's sporting environment is our lack of infrastructure, and the space between great infrastructure and those gaps are the ones that concern me the most," Secretary of State for Sport Adam van Koeverden told GOAL.

"That's the biggest gap. We need more, whether they're indoor gyms, field houses, soccer fields, tracks, pools, rinks, whatever it is, we need more of them. Our communities and the next generation of athletes and just active people deserve them."

In total, Canada has spent roughly $1.3 billion in taxpayer funds to host 13 World Cup games in Toronto and Vancouver. Both host cities installed a new grass pitch and field house at a single location, falling short of their initial, more extensive plans after FIFA reduced its demands.

The City of Toronto also promised 12 new mini-pitches across the city for youth players, but only four have been built in time for the World Cup, even as a temporary field on Toronto's waterfront has quickly become a well-used community asset.

For a sport once defined by its low barrier to entry, finding places to play is becoming increasingly challenging and is affecting every level.

Jesse Symons, the head coach of Vancouver's UBC Thunderbirds, the most decorated women's soccer program in Canadian university sports, says local clubs will have to be strategic in how they structure programs, and he's worried some may need to add waitlists.

"There are some summer and spring leagues that have gotten quite busy, and maybe some clubs will identify that as a time to try and push numbers up," he told GOAL. Vancouver soccer is traditionally played through the winter, similar to Europe, because of the region's moderate climate."

"Some municipalities are also pushing how long they keep their artificial fields without replacing them. If it's for recreational players, it's probably okay, but I think already you see a lot of high-performance programs looking for other places."

Even if Canada can address its facilities problem, the country's modern soccer ecosystem remains relatively underdeveloped. It is unlikely to be ready to accommodate a significant increase in participation.

As is commonplace in North America, many coaches at the recreational level are volunteers, with parents often stepping in at younger age groups. But given Canada's 36-year absence from the men's World Cup, soccer has often been outside the national consciousness, leading to a generational knowledge gap around the sport.

Several studies have shown that a coach can be one of the most influential figures in a young person's life and a critical factor in helping athletes remain in sports. Without a strong knowledge base or an understanding of how to lead children, young athletes risk dropping out or facing physical and mental challenges.

"We need more volunteers to coach these young teams," Symons says. "But then we also need the support above them to make sure that they're doing a good job and really wanting to push those players to stay in the sport and then progress in the sport."

For Misley, the lack of knowledge extends beyond coaching and affects nearly every part of the game. As such, Ontario Soccer focuses on building educational pathways in addition to increasing player registrations.

"We need people who can help provide leadership and development for the young players who play the game, and to go onto the field of play and actually instruct them," he says.

"But you need the knowledge base to do that, so we're also focused on clinics and courses that coaches have to take to reach minimum levels throughout their education to ensure they can provide that quality of service, because that is so vital."

It isn't all doom and gloom for the future of Canadian soccer.

In May, the federal government, under Prime Minister Mark Carney and van Koeverden, announced a $660 million investment over five years into the Canadian sports system, which a government commission described as "broken."

Of that total, $110 million will be targeted toward increasing youth participation, particularly in underrepresented communities, and improving safe-sport systems within sporting organizations. Some funding will also support elite-level programs.

Soccer, with its mass participation base, stands to receive a significant share. Already, there is a $9.8 million federal investment in the first phase of a national training center, and additional funding is expected.

Many hope those investments can help fund the construction of new facilities and improve an ecosystem that has struggled to keep pace with demand.

If they do, Canada can once again fully embrace its place as a sporting nation and an emerging soccer power. For now, though, all eyes are on the World Cup, with hopes that the current system can welcome new players and grow alongside them into the next generation.

"Everyone has been preparing for the World Cup for a long time, and in a very positive way, we say the circus is coming to town, so put on your seat belt and get ready," Misley says. "It's all very exciting, and I'm sure we'll have a lot of great stories and memories from this event when it's all wrapped up."