The National Times - Canadian football teams will hit the road for 2026 World Cup

Canadian football teams will hit the road for 2026 World Cup


Canadian football teams will hit the road for 2026 World Cup
Canadian football teams will hit the road for 2026 World Cup / Photo: © GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File

The Toronto Argonauts and British Columbia Lions of the Canadian Football League will hit the road for home games next year while their stadiums play host to World Cup matches.

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The CFL and clubs announced Friday plans for home games in early 2026 while their stadiums become the staging ground for the World Cup, which will be played from June 11 to July 19 in US, Canadian and Mexican venues.

Toronto's BMO Field will host six World Cup matches, including the first on Canadian soil on June 12, while seven games will be contested at Vancouver's B.C. Place, including two knockout matches next July.

The Argonauts will play one regular-season game each at Hamilton, Winnipeg and Regina, Saskatchewan against CFL rivals based in those cities while the World Cup is being played in Toronto.

The Lions will move two home games but did not detail to which cities.

"The World Cup is a cultural event, uniting entire countries and communities under a single flag," CFL commissioner Stewart Johnston said.

"As Toronto and Vancouver welcome the world, we're grateful to other cities and their tremendous fans for so generously making a home away from home for the Argonauts and the Lions."

J.Sharp--TNT