Latest news with #VictorMontagliani
CBC
9 hours ago
- Sport
- CBC
Canada leading the way when it comes to applications to volunteer at 2026 World Cup
Social Sharing Canada is leading the way when it comes to volunteering to work at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Organizers of the Canadian end of the tournament say Toronto and Vancouver rank one-two among the 16 host cities in the number of applications. Of the more than 565,000 total volunteer applications to date, over 180,000 are to work in Canada (that number covers both Canadian and international applicants who want to volunteer in Canada). "This country has always wrapped its arms around events and international events. It just shows you what this event means to Canadians. They want to be involved with it in any way, shape or form," said Canadian Victor Montagliani, who doubles as Concacaf president and FIFA vice-president. "So to be honest, I'm not really that surprised." Organizers expect to use some 65,000 volunteers, including 6,000 in Canada, making the 2026 competition FIFA's largest-ever volunteer program. Organizers say volunteers will provide support across 23 functional areas at official and non-official sites such as stadiums, training sites, airports, hotels and more. Waiting for the World Cup 2 months ago The expanded 48-team, 104-game tournament, which runs from June 11 to July 19, 2026, is being hosted by Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. Toronto and Vancouver are the tournament's Canadian host cities, with six games scheduled for Toronto's BMO Field and seven at Vancouver's B.C. Place Stadium. With the deadline to apply to be a volunteer expected in mid-September, the number of applicants is expected to grow. "It's a good problem to have," said Peter Montopoli, the former longtime Canada Soccer general secretary who is now chief tournament officer for the Canadian portion of the 2026 event. Montagliani believes the interest in volunteering at the tournament also serves as an early indicator of the demand for tickets. Fans can now register with FIFA ahead of the tournament ticket lottery, which opens Sept. 10. Montagliani, who oversaw ticketing at the 2018 and 2022 tournaments in Russia and Qatar, says the interest in tickets for those events was "absolutely off the charts." "I think we'll surpass those numbers (this time)," he said. Montopoli says past Canadian tournaments also drew big numbers when it came to volunteers with Canada's multicultural makeup helping draw volunteers from outside the country. He noted the 2007 FIFA Men's U-20 World Cup in Canada involved volunteers from close to 120 different nationalities "which spoke to the diversity of our country." "The volunteers are the heartbeat really of any competition," he added. Volunteers whose applications are successful will be invited to attend tryouts, which are expected to begin in October, with training to follow in March. Volunteers need to be 18 or older at the time of application, be able to commit to eight shifts between June 11 and July 19, 2026, speak English (with French and Spanish also "desirable" in Canada and Mexico, respectively, with other languages a plus) and pass a background check, among other requirements. While you can choose which host city you want to volunteer in, FIFA does not help with travel or accommodation. The role is unpaid, although local transportation costs in the host city may be covered.
Winnipeg Free Press
10 hours ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Canada leading the way when it comes to applications to volunteer at 2026 World Cup
Canada is leading the way when it comes to volunteering to work at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Organizers of the Canadian end of the tournament say Toronto and Vancouver rank one-two among the 16 host cities in the number of applications. Of the more than 565,000 total volunteer applications to date, over 180,000 are to work in Canada (that number covers both Canadian and international applicants who want to volunteer in Canada). 'This country has always wrapped its arms around events and international events. It just shows you what this event means to Canadians. They want to be involved with it in any way, shape or form,' said Canadian Victor Montagliani, who doubles as CONCACAF president and FIFA vice-president. 'So to be honest, I'm not really that surprised.' Organizers expect to use some 65,000 volunteers, including 6,000 in Canada, making the 2026 competition FIFA's largest-ever volunteer program. Organizers say volunteers will provide support across 23 functional areas at official and non-official sites such as stadiums, training sites, airports, hotels and more. The expanded 48-team, 104-game tournament, which runs from June 11 to July 19, 2026, is being hosted by Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. Toronto and Vancouver are the tournament's Canadian host cities, with six games scheduled for Toronto's BMO Field and seven at Vancouver's B.C. Place Stadium. With the deadline to apply to be a volunteer expected in mid-September, the number of applicants is expected to grow. 'It's a good problem to have,' said Peter Montopoli, the former longtime Canada Soccer general secretary who is now chief tournament officer for the Canadian portion of the 2026 event. Montagliani believes the interest in volunteering at the tournament also serves as an early indicator of the demand for tickets. Fans can now register with FIFA ahead of the tournament ticket lottery, which opens Sept. 10. Montagliani, who oversaw ticketing at the 2018 and 2022 tournaments in Russia and Qatar, says the interest in tickets for those events was 'absolutely off the charts.' 'I think we'll surpass those numbers (this time),' he said. Montopoli says past Canadian tournaments also drew big numbers when it came to volunteers with Canada's multicultural makeup helping draw volunteers from outside the country. He noted the 2007 FIFA Men's U-20 World Cup in Canada involved volunteers from close to 120 different nationalities 'which spoke to the diversity of our country.' 'The volunteers are the heartbeat really of any competition,' he added. Volunteers whose applications are successful will be invited to attend tryouts, which are expected to begin in October, with training to follow in March. Volunteers need to be 18 or older at the time of application, be able to commit to eight shifts between June 11 and July 19, 2026, speak English (with French and Spanish also 'desirable' in Canada and Mexico, respectively, with other languages a plus) and pass a background check, among other requirements. While you can choose which host city you want to volunteer in, FIFA does not help with travel or accommodation. The role is unpaid, although local transportation costs in the host city may be covered. — This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 18, 2025.
Cision Canada
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Cision Canada
FIFA World Cup™ Winner's Trophy joins Prime Minister Mark Carney in Ottawa for Canada Day Celebrations
OTTAWA, ON, July 1, 2025 /CNW/ - FIFA Vice President and Concacaf President Victor Montagliani, Chief Tournament Officer, FIFA Canada 2026, Peter Montopoli, and the Honourable Adam van Koeverden, Secretary of State for Sport, met with Prime Minister Mark Carney in Ottawa on Monday kicking off Canada Day celebrations. The Prime Minister welcomed the iconic FIFA World Cup™ Winner's Trophy, ahead of Canada co-hosting the FIFA World Cup™ in 2026, alongside Mexico and the United States.
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Why are Saudi Arabia playing in the Concacaf Gold Cup?
The Concacaf Gold Cup is a biennial international tournament usually featuring teams from North and Central America and the Caribbean. But in the 2025 edition, Saudi Arabia are taking part. Saudi Arabia's participation in both 2025 and 2027 was confirmed in December 2024, alongside acknowledgment of a plan for collaboration off the pitch. Advertisement "We are very pleased that through our relationship with the Asian Football Confederation we have been able to collaborate with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation and their president Yasser Al-Misehal, both on and off the pitch," Concacaf president Victor Montagliani said in the official press release. "We look forward to welcoming one of Asia's top men's national teams to compete with the best in Concacaf." Earlier in 2024, Concacaf had announced an investment deal with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) - also owners of Newcastle United, LIV Golf, and a stake in the McLaren Formula 1 team - which will bring an influx of money over multiple years. Extensive PIF branding is visible in and around stadiums used for Gold Cup matches. Advertisement At the time the deal was announced, Montagliani said: "We are very pleased to announce this new strategic partnership which will support the confederation in developing all levels of football across our region." It was described as "sportswashing" by Human Rights Watch. Saudi Arabia sports minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal told BBC Sport in 2023 its unprecedented investment in sport was to help inspire a youthful population to take up physical activity and exercise, open the country up to the international community, boost tourism, create jobs and provide sports federations with growth potential. Why does the Gold Cup invite guest teams to play? The Gold Cup was expanded from 12 to 16 teams from the 2019 edition. Advertisement Though Concacaf has 41 member nations, it has invited non-member teams to participate in the past. The quality of many of the lower-ranked Concacaf national teams is not high, so guest teams have been used to make it more competitive. The practice was common in the 1990s and early 2000s, before being shelved. It was brought back when Qatar were invited to play in the 2021 and 2023 editions. In total, eight non-Concacaf teams have participated in the Gold Cup. They are: Brazil (1996, 1998, 2003) Colombia (2000, 2003, 2005) Ecuador (2002) Peru (2000) Qatar (2021, 2023) South Africa (2005) South Korea (2000, 2002) Saudi Arabia (2025, 2027) Of those teams, only Brazil have reached the final - losing 1-0 to Mexico in 1996. Qatar reached the semi-finals in 2021 after South Korea did likewise in 2002. Advertisement Only Mexico, the USA and Canada have won the the Gold Cup since its inaugural edition in 1991. Mexico have won on nine occasions, the USA seven, and Canada only once. This article is the latest from BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team. Brazil have been the most successful of the guest teams invited to participate in the Gold Cup, but none have ever won the tournament [Getty Images] What is Ask Me Anything? Ask Me Anything is a service dedicated to answering your questions. We want to reward your time by telling you things you do not know and reminding you of things you do. The team explores everything you need to know and calls upon a network of contacts including our experts and pundits. We answer your questions from the heart of the BBC Sport newsroom, and go behind the scenes at some of the world's biggest sporting events. Advertisement Our coverage spans the BBC Sport website, app, social media and YouTube accounts, plus BBC TV and radio. More questions answered...
BBC News
26-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Why are Saudi Arabia playing in the Concacaf Gold Cup?
The Concacaf Gold Cup is a biennial international tournament usually featuring teams from North and Central America and the Caribbean. But in the 2025 edition, Saudi Arabia are taking Arabia's participation in both 2025 and 2027 was confirmed in December 2024, alongside acknowledgment of a plan for collaboration off the pitch."We are very pleased that through our relationship with the Asian Football Confederation we have been able to collaborate with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation and their president Yasser Al-Misehal, both on and off the pitch," Concacaf president Victor Montagliani said in the official press release."We look forward to welcoming one of Asia's top men's national teams to compete with the best in Concacaf."Earlier in 2024, Concacaf had announced an investment deal with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) - also owners of Newcastle United, LIV Golf, and a stake in the McLaren Formula 1 team - which will bring an influx of money over multiple PIF branding is visible in and around stadiums used for Gold Cup the time the deal was announced, Montagliani said: "We are very pleased to announce this new strategic partnership which will support the confederation in developing all levels of football across our region."It was described as "sportswashing" by Human Rights Arabia sports minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal told BBC Sport in 2023 its unprecedented investment in sport was to help inspire a youthful population to take up physical activity and exercise, open the country up to the international community, boost tourism, create jobs and provide sports federations with growth potential. Why does the Gold Cup invite guest teams to play? The Gold Cup was expanded from 12 to 16 teams from the 2019 Concacaf has 41 member nations, it has invited non-member teams to participate in the quality of many of the lower-ranked Concacaf national teams is not high, so guest teams have been used to make it more practice was common in the 1990s and early 2000s, before being shelved. It was brought back when Qatar were invited to play in the 2021 and 2023 total, eight non-Concacaf teams have participated in the Gold Cup. They are: Brazil (1996, 1998, 2003)Colombia (2000, 2003, 2005)Ecuador (2002)Peru (2000)Qatar (2021, 2023)South Africa (2005)South Korea (2000, 2002)Saudi Arabia (2025, 2027)Of those teams, only Brazil have reached the final - losing 1-0 to Mexico in reached the semi-finals in 2021 after South Korea did likewise in Mexico, the USA and Canada have won the the Gold Cup since its inaugural edition in 1991. Mexico have won on nine occasions, the USA seven, and Canada only article is the latest from BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team. What is Ask Me Anything? Ask Me Anything is a service dedicated to answering your want to reward your time by telling you things you do not know and reminding you of things you team explores everything you need to know and calls upon a network of contacts including our experts and answer your questions from the heart of the BBC Sport newsroom, and go behind the scenes at some of the world's biggest sporting coverage spans the BBC Sport website, app, social media and YouTube accounts, plus BBC TV and radio. More questions answered... Who are Premier League clubs playing in pre-season?How do add-ons work in football transfers?Why can 23-year-olds play at Euro U21s?Why is Alexander-Arnold not allowed to wear number 66 for Real Madrid?When are Premier League TV picks announced?
