Hosting major sporting events 'worthwhile' for Canada: van Koeverden

Adam van Koeverden knows just how big 2026 is for sport across Canada.

While Toronto and Vancouver are readying to host some of the biggest soccer stars in the world as part of this summer's FIFA World Cup, Canadian athletes are preparing for an array of massive events, said the country's secretary of state for sport.

Hockey players, snowboarders and skiers are already in Italy for the Milan Cortina Olympics. Other competitors are back home training for the Paralympics and Arctic Games.

"There are so many other sports events between now and FIFA," van Koeverden said in a phone interview Saturday. "2026, the first six months, is quite the decade of sport. So we're calling it — 2026 is going to be Canada's year of sport."

World Cup preparations in Toronto and Vancouver continue, with the tournament now 131 days away.

Vancouver is set to host seven games during the expanded event, while Toronto will stage six, including Canada's first group stage match on June 12.

Both cities have been busy renovating stadiums, creating plans to accommodate a massive influx of visitors and drawing up policies to ensure visitors and residents are safe.

Van Koeverden was in Vancouver this week to check out the progress. He spoke with local First Nations, toured B.C. Place and the Vancouver Convention Centre, which is set to host the FIFA Congress 2026 in April, and joined dozens of people for a run along the seawall.

"We've had so many great meetings," he said.

Canada has a rich history of hosting major sporting events, van Koeverden said, and he hopes to see the Olympics return to the country one day.

"Canada's the best host country in the world. I'm in one of the best host cities in Canada, in Vancouver. So I would certainly support it," he