Canada Soccer has named the National Soccer Development Centre on the University of British Columbia campus in Vancouver as the Canadian men’s national team’s home base for this summer’s FIFA World Cup.
The World Cup starts on June 11, but for Canada’s men, the work began long before kickoff — with a decision made on the West Coast.
Canada Soccer announced Tuesday that the National Soccer Development Centre on the Vancouver campus of the University of British Columbia will serve as the Canadian men’s national team’s home base for the tournament this summer.
The centre is more than just a training ground. It hosts the Vancouver Whitecaps’ first team, various development squads, and the Northern Super League’s Vancouver Rise — a familiar footprint for a group that will need calm routines during the intensity of a home World Cup.
In a statement. Mathieu Chamberland. Canada Soccer’s chief of soccer operations. said the organization is “incredibly grateful” to Vancouver Whitecaps FC for opening their doors to the Men’s National Team. Chamberland added that the Whitecaps have “a long-standing tradition of supporting the national program. ” and that by welcoming Canada into their home at the NSDC. they are playing a “vital role” in the path toward 2026.
For Canada, hosting the tournament — shared with the United States and Mexico — brings a different kind of pressure. Vancouver will play a central role in the schedule, too, with the city set to host two of Canada’s three group-stage matches.
Men’s national team head coach Jesse Marsch framed the choice as both opportunity and necessity. “A home FIFA World Cup brings unique pressures and opportunities,” he said. “By establishing our team base camp in Vancouver. we are securing a stable. private. and world-class environment where our team staff can operate at the highest level to support the team’s success.”.
The tournament kicks off June 11. Canada’s first match comes the next day, June 12, when the men’s national team take on their group-stage opponents at BMO Field in Toronto.
Canada Soccer Vancouver NSDC University of British Columbia World Cup base camp Vancouver Whitecaps Jesse Marsch Mathieu Chamberland BMO Field