Canada's been thrust on the world soccer stage, with yesterday's announcement the 2026 World Cup of Soccer will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and this country.

Chad Green of the Manitoba Major Soccer League's Portage Cobras believes this might positively impact soccer programs across the nation.

"My hope is that the youth clubs will be rejuvenated, will have that little bit of excitement where they want to expand," he says, "And so they're going to try to create some new programs within their own little districts, which in hopes, will bring in new players, or just retain the players that they have."

Green thinks the buildup to the 2026 World Cup will also help the newly formed Canadian Premier League.

"And it's starting in 2019," he says, "And they're going to have between eight and ten teams. And Winnipeg just announced, I believe it was last Wednesday, that they're actually going to have a team. And every team in the league has to have at least 50% of their roster Canadian players, so I thinks that's an even bigger boost for soccer in this country."

Green feels the approach of the World Cup, combined with the new league, will increase participation in the Manitoba Major Soccer League as well.

"It give the kids a dream, right" he says, "Every kid needs a dream, they need a goal that they need to try to achieve, whether it's possible or not, so I think it will actually boost the numbers a little bit, because kids' parents hope that someday their kids could even play in the Canadian Premier League, which then could turn into MLS, which can turn into going to Europe. There could be a trickle effect."

Green sees Canada co-hosting the World Cup as big for kids in soccer in general.