Canada Soccer Announces Capacity Increase for Wednesday 13 October FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in Toronto 

Canada Soccer have announced that in accordance with the recent update to Ontario Public Health Measures regarding stadium capacity limits, additional tickets will be made available for the Canada v Panama FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ Qualifiers match to be played at BMO Field on 13 October. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketmaster.ca.
 
Prior to the announcement, all available tickets for the match had been purchased. The increase in capacity enables more fans to join the ‘Sea of Red’ at BMO Field to create a fortress of Canadian support for this crucial match on the quest for Qatar.
 
“We play for Canada and it is the fans for whom we are doing this, for those who are as passionate about this sport and country as us” said John Herdman, Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team Head Coach. “We want to take this country and our fans to a FIFA World Cup, that is our mission and playing at home our fans are the difference makers.”
                                                                                   
All fans in attendance will be required to demonstrate proof of full vaccination to enter the stadium and must follow BMO Field COVID protocols and guidelines, including wearing a mask. For more information, visit BMOField.com. All matches held in Canada are subject to all public health guidelines.
 
Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team have opened FIFA World Cup Qualifiers unbeaten through four matches and are coming off a vital 1:1 draw with Mexico at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on Thursday. Canada will next face Jamaica in Kingston, Jamaica on Sunday 10 October before returning to Toronto to face Panama.
 
With four of 14 matches having been played in the Concacaf Final Round of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ Qualifiers, Canada sit in third position. From the Concacaf Final Round final standings, the top-three nations automatically qualify for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 while the fourth-best nation advances to an inter-continental playoff for additional FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ Qualifiers.
 
Canada v Panama | 13 October 2021 – kickoff at 19.30 local
Tickets https://www.ticketmaster.ca/event/10005B27BA1513E2

Canada face Jamaica in their next away match on Sunday 10 October (17.00 local / 18.00 ET / 15.00 PT). Canada then return home to play Panama on Wednesday 10 October, with tickets available via Ticketmaster.ca (19.30 local / 19.30 ET / 16.30 PT). Both matches will be broadcast live on OneSoccer including TELUS channel 980, onesoccer.ca, Sportsnet, and RDS, including a one-hour Match Day Live show.

Beyond the October matches, Canada Soccer announced that their two November home matches will be played at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta. Canada will open the two-match home series against Costa Rica on 12 November before taking on Mexico on 16 November. Ticket details for both matches will be shared this month with all public health guidelines being observed to ensure the safety for all players and fans.
 
CANADA SOCCER’S MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM PROGRAM
Canada has built plenty of momentum in a landmark year for the Men’s National Team Program that will feature a record 19 international matches including FIFA World Cup Qualifiers and the Concacaf Gold Cup. Canada have already played 13 of those 19 matches, posting a record of 9-2-2 with six clean sheets and a record 44 goals scored. Canada also set a record with eight consecutive wins and reached the Concacaf Gold Cup Semifinals for the first time since 2007.
 
Canada will play eight of their 14 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in the Concacaf Final Round from September through November 2021: three matches in September, three matches in October, and two matches in November. In 2022, Canada will play three more matches in January/February and three more matches in March. Along with Honduras, USA and El Salvador, Canada’s other opponents in the Concacaf Final Round are Costa Rica, Jamaica, Mexico, and Panama.
 
To reach the Concacaf Final Round, Canada won their First Round group against Aruba, Bermuda, Cayman Islands and Suriname, then eliminated Haiti in a head-to-head Second Round series. This marks the first time since 1997 that Canada have reached the Concacaf Final Round of FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. From the Concacaf Final Round of eight nations, the top-three nations automatically qualify for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ and the fourth-best nation advance to an inter-continental playoff for additional FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™Qualifiers.
 
Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team are two-time Concacaf champions, previously winning the 1985 Concacaf Championship and 2000 Concacaf Gold Cup. This year marked Canada’s 15th participation at the Concacaf Gold Cup since 1991. Along with their first-place finish in 2000, Canada reached the Semifinals in 2002, 2007, and 2021. Across the past five years from 2017 to 2021, Canada are one of only four nations that finished top-six across all four Concacaf major tournaments: fifth place in Concacaf Nations League A, sixth place at both the 2017 and 2019 Concacaf Gold Cups, and a semi-final finish at the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup.