By Yomi Kuku, Toronto Canada
Canada Soccer has unveiled a powerful new national campaign titled “Our Game Now,” signaling what officials describe as a defining cultural moment for soccer in Canada ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
The campaign, launched nationwide on Tuesday, is designed to position soccer at the center of Canada’s sporting identity as excitement continues building toward the World Cup, which Canada will co-host alongside the United States and Mexico.
At the heart of the launch is a cinematic national campaign film that premiered on CBC Morning Live before rolling out across television, digital platforms, outdoor advertising and fan engagement activations across the country.
Canada Soccer said the campaign reflects the rapid rise of the sport and the growing connection between Canadians and the men’s national team.
“Soccer in Canada is no longer emerging, it’s arrived,” said Kevin Blue.
“The growth of the game is happening across every level of our sport, from packed stadiums and growing professional clubs to the next generation of fans engaging with our National Teams every day.”
The campaign arrives at a time when soccer’s popularity in Canada is experiencing unprecedented growth.
New research commissioned by Canada Soccer and conducted by Abacus Data found that Canadians aged 18 to 44 now rank soccer alongside hockey as one of the country’s favourite sports. Among Canadians born outside the country, soccer emerged as the clear number one choice, outperforming every other sport by at least 10 percent.
The findings reinforce broader national trends showing the sport’s rapid expansion across grassroots and professional levels.
Earlier this year, Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities released research confirming soccer is now the most-participated youth sport in Canada as the nation prepares to host the World Cup.
Canada Soccer’s Chief Communications and Content Officer Paulo Senra described the campaign as a reflection of how deeply soccer has become woven into Canadian culture.
“This sport is no longer emerging in the background of Canadian culture, it’s actively helping define it,” Senra said.
The federation also revealed a fully redesigned official website aimed at creating a more immersive and fan-focused digital experience, including expanded player coverage, match statistics, video content and storytelling features.
The “Our Game Now” campaign will feature prominently during Canada’s upcoming men’s national team sendoff matches in Edmonton and Montréal, as well as at fan zones in Toronto and Vancouver throughout the World Cup period.
In a coordinated rollout ahead of the launch, 13 high-profile Canadians, including current and former national team players, soccer organizations and political figures, shared lines from the campaign manifesto across social media platforms.
Marketing director Dominic Martin called the initiative “a rallying cry” aimed at uniting Canadians from coast to coast behind the national team.
The campaign was developed by Canada Soccer’s newly appointed agency of record, Diamond, and is expected to run throughout the buildup to and duration of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
With Canada preparing to host the biggest football tournament in history, officials believe the campaign marks more than a marketing push, but a declaration that soccer has firmly claimed its place within the country’s sporting and cultural mainstream.
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