Ottawa, Montreal, Vancouver, and Victoria Join Edmonton and Toronto as WYC 2007 Hosts

Ottawa, Ontario –At a media conference held today in Toronto, ON, FIFA Vice President and CONCACAF President, Jack Warner joined Canadian Soccer Association President and National Organizing Committee (NOC) Chair, Andy Sharpe to announce that Ottawa, Montreal, Vancouver, and Victoria will join Edmonton and Toronto as hosts of the FIFA World Youth Championship Canada 2007.

“We are extremely pleased with the quality of the submissions received and I would also like to thank all groups who expressed interest in working with the CSA in hosting the championship,” said Sharpe.

“The criteria needed to become a successful host city were set very high and as a result only four cities were able to match and surpass the standards we had set out. All four cities during the past two days presented outstanding bids. We were pleased to endorse these submissions and are delighted with the balance of representation across the country. As of today, we will begin our detailed preparations for what promises to be among the premier sporting competitions ever held in Canada.”

As part of the submission requirements, all sites will have a stadium which has a minimum seating capacity of 10,000 combined with an optimal natural grass playing surface or a FIFA Recommended artificial grass playing surface.

Stadiums to be utilized are led by the 61,000 seat Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, and the new 20,000 seat York University stadium in Toronto. The other four stadiums are Centennial Stadium in Victoria, the 29,000 seat Frank Clair Stadium in Ottawa, either Centre Claude Robillard or a new replacement facility in Montreal, and either in an expanded 13,000 seat Swangard Stadium or a temporary 13,000 seat facility in downtown Vancouver. Vancouver’s organizing committee will determine its final stadium location by the end of 2005.

“After Canada’s outstanding organization of the inaugural FIFA U-19 Women’s World Championship in 2002, I look forward to what will unquestionably be an exciting edition of the FIFA World Youth Championship,” said Warner. “I am certain Canada will again showcase their ability to stage one of the world’s most prestigious sport competitions.”

Canada was unanimously awarded the 2007 FIFA World Youth Championship in August of 2004 by the FIFA Emergency Committee, at a meeting held in Zurich.

Quarter Final Matches

Warner and Sharpe also announced that Montreal and Vancouver will join Edmonton and Toronto as hosts of quarter final matches of the FIFA World Youth Championship Canada 2007.

Edmonton and Toronto will host semi final matches with the location of the final and 3/4 matches being confirmed in July.

FIFA World Youth Championships

The FIFA World Youth Championship is a three-week, 24 nation, and 52-match tournament featuring the best youth (Under-20) players in the world. It is the second largest event staged by FIFA, following the FIFA World Cup. Graduates include: Bebeto, Thierry Henry, Luis Figo, Diego Maradona, Michael Owen, Ronaldinho, and Javier Saviola, as well as Canada’s Craig Forrest and members of the current Men’s World Cup Team, including Julian de Guzman, Iain Hume, Atiba Hutchinson, and Paul Stalteri.

Last held in the CONCACAF region of Mexico in 1983, Canada’s most recent participation in this event occurred last December when its squad had its best ever finish, losing to eventual silver medalist Spain, on a golden goal in the quarter finals held in the United Arab Emirates.

The Championship is proposed to take place from July 1-22, 2007.