How Kevin Blue aims to seize growth opportunity the 2026 World Cup presents for Canada Soccer
With the 2026 World Cup rapidly approaching, the pressure is quickly ramping up for key stakeholders involved in the operation of that tournament, who will be looking to make sure that this event runs as smoothly as possible.
At the same time, just making sure that everything goes to plan is just half the battle. For example, when looking at Canada Soccer, this event is set to have a transformative impact on the federation governing the game in this country, in many facets, leaving a legacy that will be felt far beyond the final kick of the ball.
Because of that, they’re looking to ensure that they’re as prepared as possible when it comes to making sure they capitalize on the moment that lies ahead, one that could completely transform the sport in Canada.
That’s led to some busy days for Canada Soccer’s CEO and General Secretary, Kevin Blue, who is doing a lot of the work to ensure that his federation seizes the moment when the world comes to North America next June.
“In a worst-case scenario, the event comes and goes, people tune in for a little bit, high-five each other when we score, and then go about their business,” Blue told the Northern Futbol podcast in a recent interview. “It's our responsibility to make sure that we're taking advantage of moments like these.”
The 2026 World Cup is supposed to be a watershed moment for ⚽️ in 🇨🇦 but that isn’t a guarantee.
— Canadian Soccer Daily (@CANSoccerDaily) August 1, 2025
Canada Soccer CEO Kevin Blue joined @NorthernFutbol to talk about what the CSA is doing to ensure 2026 isn’t just a blip.
🖥️ https://t.co/vIwsrsAUidhttps://t.co/5Q3m6pKwp4 pic.twitter.com/qzVmVNXBig
That’s a challenge that Blue welcomes, however. Ultimately, that’s why he was hired, as his commercial experience in sporting environments was seen as a perfect fit for a federation ushering in a new era off the field, one that befits the growth they’ve made in recent years on the pitch.
Because of that, he’s already laid out a key four-step plan that he wants Canada Soccer to follow, one that he feels should help them take advantage of this moment.
It all starts on the pitch, where the CanMNT will need to perform, as picking up their first-ever men’s World Cup win is the bare minimum for this group - the bigger goal is to make a run into the knockout stages of this tournament, which would help capture the attention of the country.
“There are four things that we're focused on,” he explained. “One is making sure that the team is in position to be successful, compete, and inspire millions and millions of Canadians. In doing so, there are side effects of that, a long run in the tournament that's compelling will create viewership demand for soccer going forward, in all forms.”
From there, the work off the pitch will start. For example, one key area to watch will be the growth of the game at the grassroots level, as a tournament like this could lead to a big spike in player registration, which will have a trickle-down effect as more people also sign up to become coaches, referees and other key stakeholders that play such an important roles in the day-to-day function of this sport.
To help prepare for that, Canada Soccer has launched Club+, a tool designed to help grassroots clubs handle the growth that the World Cup could spark.
“The second thing is that we want to acknowledge the reality that the visibility of this tournament in the public's consciousness is going to mean that there are a lot of people who generally don't interact with soccer, who now are going to have soccer awareness,” he offered.
“We're working at the club level to help clubs think about that and be prepared to take advantage of this kind of additional visibility that's on the sport, because there are probably many, many families that, as we go forward, are going to be considering soccer participation.”
“For the first time, we've started a multi-year project called Club+, which is a bunch of marketing support, resources, and thinking about how to attract people to become registered players, coaches and referees if they don't have a background in soccer. This is a service that we're trying to provide directly to clubs to see participation growth from the World Cup.”
Introducing Canada Soccer’s Club+ — a new platform built to support community soccer clubs across Canada with tools, templates, and strategies to help grow the game!https://t.co/2cXDn0YomX
— Canada Soccer (@CanadaSoccerEN) July 15, 2025
From there, another big factor is ensuring that Canada Soccer further strengthens its financial model. Blue’s helped them take big strides in that department since his arrival, but he wants to open up more revenue streams, which will help the game at all levels.
To that point, the National Teams could really stand to benefit from that, in particular, especially in terms of the camps they hold in the future, the number of home games they play and the development of the youth national teams. Combined with the impact that money could have at the grassroots level, that’s huge, as Canada’s National Teams of all levels have often struggled to maximize their potential on the field due to limiting factors such as finances.
“The third thing is that the World Cup presents an important opportunity for our federation to evolve and strengthen its business model and our financial model,” Blue said. “If you think long-term about the viability and the continued growth of traditional revenue streams, like government funding, even though government funding for Canadian soccer is a very small percentage of our overall revenue, it's still important.”
“We're trying to make sure that we're taking into consideration modern and future realities about what might or may not be available, and trying to diversify our revenue streams, so the World Cup is an opportunity to move the business forward.”
It takes the team behind the team, and that includes you!
— Canada Soccer (@CanadaSoccerEN) July 30, 2025
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Lastly, that leaves the most important pillar, and arguably the one where Canada has the most work to do - ensuring this tournament leaves a legacy. Not just in terms of memories, either, but in terms of facilities and other capital projects, an area where Canada lags behind many countries.
If Canada can use this tournament to build a bunch more fields and stadiums across the country, as well as push more cities to invest in professional soccer, that’s a win, as that would just further develop the soccer economy in this country.
“Then the fourth thing is, we do think long-term about legacy,” Blue said. “We think about things like capital projects, things like facilities, that one we're still unpacking and working on with a bunch of different stakeholders.”
“I go to bed every day worried about the time that's left between now and the World Cup, and highly focused on the fact that everybody involved has to really make sure that we're achieving transformation, rather than just a blip.”
Because of that, look for Canada Soccer to push on as they make sure to capitalize on this window. From bigger things, such as capital projects, to smaller things such as the development of grassroots soccer, all are equally as important to Blue, who wants this tournament to be as wide-reaching of a success story as possible.
An Update to the Canadian Soccer Community: Progress and the Path Ahead 🍁
— Canada Soccer (@CanadaSoccerEN) July 25, 2025
A statement from Canada Soccer CEO & General Secretary, Kevin Blue, and President & Board Chair, Peter Augruso.
Heck, even little things like the release of Canada’s new World Cup kit (which Blue confirmed is in the works, for those wondering) will go a long way, helping provide revenue to the federation, while further driving the buzz that will be around the team.
It might seem like a small detail to speak about kits, but given the struggles that many fans had to get their hands on Canada’s World Cup kits in 2022, having more merchandising options in 2026 will be quite huge.
Yet, that’s the exact sort of little detail that can’t get left unignored, showing why Blue will be so busy over the next year, as it gives an idea of what his responsibilities will look like.
“Things like compelling performances as we get into these high visibility opportunities drive the fan avidity and interest, and that so many trickle down effects in things like merchandise sales, which have these follow-on effects,” Blue finished.
“From a licensing and retail standpoint, the product is more available because the retail operations around Canada have lots of confidence that fans love the team and they're going to buy the stuff.”
“It all goes back to the product on the pitch, which we're very acutely aware of, and I'm hopeful that you'll see some of the echoes of that embodied in things like more kit availability and other things that fans are eager for.”
