How long will it take Wrexham A.F.C to get up to the Premier League?
Andi Petrillo is joined by analyst Amy Walsh to break down all the action in Canadian soccer news this week.
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Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Injury forces Canadian bantamweight Charles (Air) Jourdain off UFC card in Atlanta
An injury has forced Canadian bantamweight Charles (Air) Jourdain off Saturday's UFC Fight Night card in Atlanta. The 29-year-old from Montreal was slated to face Ricky Simon, who will now take on fellow American Cameron (The Baby-Faced Killer) Smotherman at State Farm Arena. 'It is with deep sorrow that I announce my first withdrawal from my fight in 15 UFC appearances,' Jourdain said in a social media post. 'Unfortunately, I was not medically cleared due to a condition requiring surgical intervention. I trust this is part of a greater plan and I'm committed to returning stronger.' Saturday's main event pits former welterweight champion Kamaru (The Nigerian Nightmare) Usman, a Nigerian-born American currently ranked fifth among 170-pound contenders, against No. 7 Joaquin (New Mansa) Buckley of the United States. Jourdain (16-8-1) snapped a two-fight losing streak with a submission win over Victor (La Mangosta) Henry in November in Edmonton. He is 7-7-1 in the UFC since making his debut in the promotion in May 2109. Canadian flyweight Jamey-Lyn Horth (7-2-0) takes on American Vanessa (Lil Monster) Demopoulos on the Atlanta undercard. The 35-year-old from Squamish, B.C., is coming off a December loss to No. 11 Miranda (Fear The) Maverick, who fights former strawweight champion Rose (Thug) Namajunas in Saturday's all-American co-main event. — This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 10, 2025.
Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
It's time: Countdown clocks signal kickoff of 2026 FIFA World Cup is one year away
The one-year countdown to the 2026 World Cup starts Wednesday, with clocks to be unveiled to mark the occasion in Toronto, Vancouver and Niagara Falls. Toronto and Vancouver are World Cup host cities. Niagara Falls offers a world-class backdrop for a reminder that FIFA's expanded 48-team soccer showcase is just around the corner. There are more milestones to come in Canada, with a call for some 7,000 volunteers to be issued in August, ticket sales starting in September and the tournament draw in December. Adidas has yet to unveil the match ball. Tournament mascots will also be introduced. The tournament's official poster will join those of the 16 host cities. And the World Cup trophy is scheduled to make an appearance in Ottawa on Canada Day. The World Cup kicks off June 11, 2026, with games in Mexico City and Guadalajara. On June 12, the focus switches to matches in Toronto and Los Angeles. The final is set for July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. 'It's nine years so far on this project,' said Peter Montopoli, chief tournament officer for Canada. 'This marathon is now at one year out, turned into a sprint. I think that's the part we really enjoy. For the people who love to run events, this is the part that really excites them. This is where all the magic happens in the last year. 'So it's exciting. It's an exciting time to be running the event, it's an exciting time for FIFA and it's an exciting time for our country.' In all, there will be 104 games, with 13 each in Canada and Mexico and the remaining 78 in the U.S. The last seven editions of the tournament featured 32 teams and 64 games. In addition to co-hosts Canada, Mexico and the U.S., Japan, Iran, Japan, Jordan, South Korea and Uzbekistan have already qualified from Asia, along with New Zealand from Oceania and defending champion Argentina from South America (CONMEBOL). It will be a first World Cup appearance for both Jordan and Uzbekistan. On Wednesday, the two Canadian host cities will also release anniversary videos with actor Will Arnett featured in Toronto's and former Canada goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc in Vancouver's. Canadians will be able to apply for tickets two ways — through the FIFA lottery (assuming FIFA follows past practices) and via membership in Canada Soccer's Canada Red program, which will distribute the ticket allotment for Canada matches. 'There's different ways to purchase (tickets),' said Montopoli. 'If you want to get in early, you go in the fall.' Montopoli said there is no word yet on ticket pricing. While the full match schedule won't be known until the draw, Canada will open in Toronto and then play its remaining group games in Vancouver. Toronto and Vancouver will each host five opening-round matches plus a round-of-32 knockout match. Vancouver will also stage a round-of-16 game. Canada Soccer is revamping its existing Canada Red membership program, expanding it from the current three tiers (the first free and the other two at a cost of $50 and $150 annually) to seven levels (from free to $5,000 annually). Each tier provides access to Canada Soccer's ticketing allotment lottery for games featuring the Canadian men — the higher the tier, the higher the chances of securing tickets. FIFA traditionally reserves a portion of each World Cup game's tickets for fans from the countries involved. This is Canada's method of distributing them. Canada Soccer also used a Canada Red tiered approach for tickets for Canada's games at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Each of the seven Canada Red tiers will be allotted some 14 percent of Canada Soccer's ticket pool. But Canada Red members in the top tiers will have the best chance to access tickets as they will have access to the first draw and each subsequent draw afterwards. Canada Red, the new version of which launches in late July, 'directly supports' the Canada Soccer Foundation, according to Canada Soccer. While the clock counts down, the City of Toronto is still looking for funds to help pay for its end of the tournament, arguing that it is having to dig deeper into its pocket because the cost of providing services related to public transport, policing and hospitals, among others, has increased to almost $40 million in total — reducing the provincial cash contribution and adding to the city's bill. The cost of hosting six games in Toronto has been pegged at $380 million, with the federal government contributing $104 million and Ontario, including services, $97 million. Toronto's tab is $178.7 million (47 percent of the total cost). A ring of permanent suites is under construction at B.C. Place Stadium. BMO Field will get an additional 17,750 seats, bringing total capacity to around 45,735 seats, with the north and south ends expanded. Two of four new video screens are now working at BMO Field, which is also getting new suites. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. FIFA will take over the tournament stadiums 30 days before the first game there, which would mean May 13 for Toronto and May 14 for Vancouver. The tournament office in Toronto, already up and running, will have 82 full-time staff — it's currently around 70 — with most getting an early taste of tournament work via the FIFA Club World Cup, which kicks off later this month in the U.S. The Vancouver office opens next Tuesday ahead of the CONCACAF Gold Cup. 'We know what we need to do to execute,' Montopoli said of tournament preparation. 'So we feel very comfortable in where we stand today. There's always little nuances that can happen, but as of today — one year out — we're exactly where we felt we needed to be to position ourselves for success.' — This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 10, 2025
Global News
3 hours ago
- Global News
Hardcore Oilers fans go to great lengths to watch games, support team in Stanley Cup final
When an orange wave of Oilers fans in Edmonton head toward the downtown core on game nights during the NHL playoffs, an ocean away in Akureyri, Iceland, Pavel Viking Landa says he makes his own way to his man cave in the dead of night. The extreme Oilers fan says he can't stop himself from turning on his TV in the room, where hockey jerseys hang on the wall, and watching the games, even if it goes until 4 a.m. his time. 'My family don't like it, I watch deep in the night because I'm waking them up by screaming, 'Let's go,'' said the 42-year-old in an interview from the Nordic island. Landa was in Edmonton last week to watch the Oilers take on the Florida Panthers in Games 1 and 2 of the Stanley Cup final. Story continues below advertisement 'I thought for a little while I'm going to lose my hearing because of fans cheering,' he said. 'It was unbelievable.' 1:59 Canada's team? Canadians rallying behind Oilers in Stanley Cup final But he has since returned to his home to watch the remainder of the series in Iceland, with the next game scheduled for Wednesday in Sunrise, Fla. Landa said he has been making the two-day journey from Iceland to Edmonton every year to watch the Oilers play since 2015. Landa, who works in construction, said that's the year he fell in love with the team. 'I met a Canadian guy from Edmonton in a bar here. We started chatting. Life is funny,' said Landa. 'He said, 'You should come' … and within two months I was in Edmonton first time for hockey.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "He said, 'You should come' … and within two months I was in Edmonton first time for hockey." Story continues below advertisement He said he went directly from the airport to the former Edmonton Oilers arena known as Rexall Place to watch the Oilers, including his favourite player at the time, Ales Hemsky, take on the Vancouver Canucks 'It's a really nice memory and, I think the Oilers won 5-4 then,' he said. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy However, Landa said it's not the win that has kept him coming back to Edmonton every year. It's the fans. 'It really surprised me how (fans) get really, really loud. I got goosebumps,' he said about the 2015 game. 'The general atmosphere, the general feeling on the streets, everybody's happy. Everybody's high-fiving.' He said Oilers fans are unlike others. Story continues below advertisement 'I went to a couple of games outside of Canada. I don't think they go to the hockey games for hockey. They think it's like, 'Ah, I have a date. I go to cinema, or hockey,'' Landa said. 'In Edmonton, you can see that the people are interested in the game.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "In Edmonton, you can see that the people are interested in the game." He said the only year he didn't visit Edmonton was last year. And that's because it was easier to go to Florida and watch Game 7 of the NHL final that saw the Oilers fall one game short of a comeback for the ages. After winning three games in a row to tie the final series, the Oilers dropped the deciding Game 7 to the Panthers by a score of 2-1. 2:14 Pride, heartbreak after Oilers lose Stanley Cup Final 'I'm not ashamed of it. I shed tears,' Landa said. Story continues below advertisement 'I was really sad, but not angry. I was sad because it was set up to be a really good story.' View image in full screen Fans show their support for the Edmonton Oilers before they take on the Florida Panthers in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final in Sunrise, Fla., on Monday, June 9, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette He said he believes the Canadian team will win the Cup in Game 5. Landa isn't the only one who goes on long journeys to watch the Oilers. Kevin Follett, a 49-year-old heavy equipment operator from Fort McMurray, Alta., says since last year, he has been driving 430 kilometres south to catch every playoff game in Edmonton. View image in full screen Kevin Follett, of Fort McMurray, poses in the 'Moss Pit' outside of Rogers Place ahead of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup final between the Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers in Edmonton on Friday, June 6, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Fakiha Baig 'I love hockey in general and now that we've got the two best superstars in the world, how can you not come down here and miss this?' he said, referring to Oilers captain Connor McDavid and forward Leon Draisaitl. Story continues below advertisement 'You've got to be part of it. This is history.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "You've got to be part of it. This is history." But before he gets to the game, he spends two hours getting ready. His wife paints him in blue and orange, and puts a wig on him as he pre-drinks. 'My (daughters) like it when I get dressed up,' he said. 'I get too excited. I'm not shy.' He also carries a five-gallon pail resembling the Stanley Cup at the games. He said he made 20 of them by stacking a bowl on top of a trash can and sold them to crazy fans at Edmonton's Moss Pit in the city's Ice District. Among the people seen regularly leading cheers at the Pit with Follett is William Blaise. The 19-year-old also paints himself in orange and blue before every game. He also wears a hard hat and overalls. 'We paint up every single game to look like oil rig workers. Alberta is known for oil,' Blaise said. 'I love the Oilers because this is oil country. We work hard and we play hard.' Story continues below advertisement
