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Originally Posted by Muta
Exactly. My guess is that if a new stadium is not in place, Calgary will be left off the list of venues.
Games would then be played in Vancouver, Winnipeg, Hamilton, Toronto and Montreal. Perhaps even Regina. And without Calgary, that really could hurt our bid chances given Calgary's international connections.
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There's a huge difference between hosting an Under-20 or Women's World Cup than the Men's World Cup. The World Cup is the biggest sporting event in the world, and if Canada ever gets awarded the World Cup, it will require the construction of many new venues around the country, like it does for every country that hosts.
To meet FIFA's minimum standards, you need 10 stadiums of at least 40,000 capacity. If Canada ever won, Toronto would likely get a new 80,000 seat stadium and Montreal a 65,000 seater. BC Place, Commonwealth, and SkyDome are the only existing stadiums that could probably be used. The new CFL stadiums in Winnipeg and Regina would need work to be brought up to FIFA's minimum standards.
If McMahon was still Calgary's primary stadium, it would be an easy decision to build a new 50-60,000 seat "showcase" stadium here. Ottawa and Quebec City would also likely get brand-new stadiums.
It would likely be better for Calgary to not have replaced McMahon if Canada gets the World Cup than if we replace it with something like the new stadium in Winnipeg.
Of course, the US is almost certainly going to win the 2026 WC, which means Canada wouldn't be able to bid again until 2038, at which time, we'd need a new stadium to replace the new stadium anyway.