Germany, Belgium, and Croatia are set to compete in Canada during the group stage of the upcoming FIFA World Cup next summer. The full schedule for the extended 48-team, 104-game tournament was revealed in Washington D.C. on Saturday.
Canada is designated to host a total of 13 matches, with seven to be held in Vancouver and six in Toronto, including three knockout round games. In Toronto, matchups will include Ghana versus Panama, Germany against Ivory Coast, Panama versus Croatia, and Senegal facing a playoff winner from Iraq, Bolivia, or Suriname. Vancouver will host games featuring Australia against a European playoff winner, New Zealand versus Egypt and Belgium, among others.
Notable players like Mo Salah from Egypt, Luka Modric from Croatia, and Joshua Kimmich from Germany could be seen in action during the tournament. Ivory Coast previously played in Toronto and emerged victorious against Canada in a penalty shootout during the Canadian Shield tournament on June 4.
As one of the co-hosts, Canada’s schedule was finalized following the draw. The Canadian national team, ranked 27th, will host a European playoff team, which includes Italy, on June 12 in Toronto. Subsequently, they will play against Qatar on June 18 and Switzerland on June 24 in Vancouver at B.C. Place Stadium. If Canada tops their group, they will stay in Vancouver for the round of 32 and potentially the round of 16 matches.
The schedule was influenced by stadium capacities, with marquee teams playing in larger venues. Toronto’s BMO Field and Vancouver’s B.C. Place Stadium, both with a capacity of 54,000, cannot match the size of NFL stadiums.
Other prominent teams like Spain, Argentina, France, England, and Brazil will also feature in various cities across North America, each playing in stadiums with different capacities to accommodate the tournament.
