Hockey is probably the first sport you think of in Canada. As you already know, Canadians are hockey-crazy, so it should not surprise you that this is Canada’s favorite sport. But what about other world class games? That is, there is increasing interest in football in this country. So, the question is – can hockey overtake hockey as the most popular Canadian sport?
There are plenty of reasons for the current spike in football’s popularity. Although the men’s national football team has not shown remarkable results in the last few decades, the women’s national team currently ranks 7th in the world. In addition, Canadian clubs are making a significant impact in Major League Soccer (MLS).
As a result, sports betting in Canada is on the rise According to Doug Hirdle from the betting.ca website. This means that more people are turning to football betting, searching for the best football betting sites. Such behavior only increases the popularity of football in Canada, attracting more interest from informal observers.
With that in mind, let’s dive deeper to find out what will be Canada’s most popular sport for football.
Demographics are changing
Canada has one of the highest immigration rates in the world, representing it as a diverse and economically stable country. Because of that, many immigrants take pride in calling Canada their home, changing the country’s outlook. Which includes sports.
Hockey and lacrosse aside, football is becoming one of the top sports in the country thanks to immigrants. Playing, watching and betting in football brings out positive memories from home, creating a multinational interest in football. With the change in the demographics of Canada, there are also the interests of the people.
Number one sport
This may surprise you, but football has outpaced hockey as the sport with the highest participation numbers in Canada. Interestingly, this picket took place in the 80s and 90s when more amateur football players were registered in Canada than hockey players. The current situation is not very different as there are hundreds of thousands of footballers compared to hockey players.
One of the main reasons for this is recreational sports. People usually opt for football because it is very easy to access. Even children under the age of 18 are more likely to play football than any other sport in Canada, with 44% of them surprisingly choosing football as their preferred activity. This means that amateur football is a common sight in Canada, which may include many available football fields and people from the minor leagues.
Even the slightest interest in football can bring about significant changes. Now, you can see more pubs, important Canadian football matches as well as international games. In relation to football, it is not surprising that avid Canadian bookies have started to turn to football betting.
Canadian success stories
As we mentioned, Canada’s men’s national football team has no significant success stories in the past, and they currently rank 87th in the world. On the other hand, the women’s national team is one of the most influential teams in the world. Thanks to him, Canadians are becoming more interested in football. He even has two Olympic bronze medals under his belt – from 2012 and 2016.
In addition, Canada will serve as one of three hosts FIFA World Cup In 2026, with the United States and Mexico. This is a big undertaking for Canada, especially as it should give its national team a place in the best 48 due to the host status of the country.
When talking about football within Canada’s borders, there are some worthy clubs that we should mention. Quebec, Ontario, and British Columbia are three of the most intense football provinces in Canada. Their respective teams have shown excellent results in the past in MLS.
The most successful Canadian club is Toronto FC, which has won nine Canadian championships and was runner-up in the CONCACAF Champions League in 2018, M.L.S. in 2016 and 2019.
CONCACAF is the first Canadian club from Montreal Impact or CF Montreal and the second MLS club to advance to the Champions League final. The club has also won the Canadian Championship three times.
Ultimately, it may take a few more years before hockey is overtaken as Canada’s most prominent sport, but its growing popularity is undisputed.
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