Steve Nash hoping 2026 World Cup will boost Canada's soccer program

NEW YORK – Steve Nash is excited for what 2026 could bring to Canadian soccer.

"It's going to be huge and fantastic to have the World Cup back in North America," he said.

The two-time NBA MVP, who hosted the 11th annual Steve Nash Foundation Showdown on Wednesday night, believes co-hosting the World Cup with Mexico and the United States will be key to building the beautiful game in Canada, which hasn't appeared in the World Cup since 1986.

"I think Canada is continuing to improve, slowly, with the MLS there and the World Cup coming," said Nash, who's one of the owners of the Vancouver Whitecaps. "The national team playing in a World Cup would be really important. The game is strong in Canada, I think, from a cultural standpoint, but we need to do a better job recruiting talent and developing players."

Nash himself is evidence of that. His father, John Nash, was a semi-pro soccer player, but even that family tie couldn't keep Steve on the pitch rather than the court.

There's no arguing with a Hall of Fame career (Nash will be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in September), but his decision does speak to the challenge of soccer development in Canada - at least on the men's side of the game, as Canadian women have won two CONCACAF Gold Cups and the last two Olympic bronze medals.

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

And while the jury is still out on the effect that Canada's quarterfinal appearance in the 2015 Women's World Cup on home soil will have on the next generation, youth participation in the United States boomed after hosting the 1994 men's World Cup. The growth of MLS since it was founded in 1993 has only furthered the progress of soccer in North America, which includes the Whitecaps, Montreal Impact, and Toronto FC in Canada.

"The game's grown so much here in the last 20-30 years," Nash continued. "MLS has become a stable and exciting entity that’s only continuing to improve every year. With the World Cup in sight, I think that’s only gonna bolster youth soccer development and participation, and grow the game."

Part of the challenge moving forward is that while Canada looks to develop its program ahead of the 2026 World Cup, many competing nations continue to build on more established soccer cultures year in and year out. That's partly why there's never a "moment" when soccer truly clicks in a country - it's something that happens gradually, with big events like the World Cup providing boosts along the way.

"Such a key component of the growth of the game is to develop players and have home-grown stars to perform on the international stage," Nash added. "The U.S. has had some terrific World Cup performances. Obviously, this year (missing the World Cup) is a disappointment, but there are young players in the pipeline and an exciting future. But the whole world is trying to do this. The whole world is trying to be great at the most popular sport in the world."