Canada's sports minister Adam van Koeverden believes this summer's World Cup could become an unexpected diplomatic tool, offering leaders from three nations a chance to reset negotiations on a stalled continental trade agreement.
The push comes as the United States, Canada, and Mexico face a July 1 deadline to review the USMCA, their existing free trade pact. Talks have been tense. Donald Trump suspended formal discussions with Canada last October and has openly considered abandoning the trilateral deal in favor of separate bilateral arrangements. Both Canada and Mexico want to preserve the current framework, which keeps roughly 85% of their mutual trade tariff-free.
What van Koeverden is banking on is the informal power of sport. Trump, Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum, and Canadian prime minister Mark Carney are all expected to attend World Cup matches in North America this summer. Van Koeverden told the Guardian that rubbing shoulders at the tournament could help unlock progress where formal negotiations have stalled.
"We see this as a great opportunity to bring not just our world together globally, but also Canada, Mexico and the United States on a trilateral basis as we renegotiate our trade terms," van Koeverden said. "Sport brings us together like nothing else."
The Canadian government has given van Koeverden an unusually hands-on World Cup role since naming him the country's official Fifa Sherpa last year. He works alongside Mexico's Gabriela Cuevas Barron and Andrew Giuliani, chair of the US World Cup task force. Van Koeverden's background as a four-time Olympic medal-winning kayaker gives him credibility on the diplomatic angle. He spent years competing across multiple Games and credits international sport with opening doors that politics alone rarely does.
"I was an athlete before I was a politician," he said. "Getting to know people from other countries was the biggest gift that my sport provided me with. I think sport is a great nation builder."
Canada's World Cup preparations have proceeded without the public friction that has shadowed US preparations. Toronto and Vancouver will host 13 matches each, with daily fan events throughout the tournament. The government is also funding 35 separate events in towns and cities across the country to ensure the World Cup reaches coast to coast. Van Koeverden is also using the tournament as a marketing opportunity for Canada, urging European fans to visit.
The economic case for Canada is substantial. The government projects a $2 billion boost to GDP from hosting the tournament. It has committed $755 million over five years to a sport investment program spanning four areas: increasing participation, supporting elite athletes, protecting athlete welfare, and improving hosting capacity.
"Hosting the World Cup is a great way to demonstrate how powerful sport can be in creating jobs, creating opportunity, showcasing our great country to the rest of the world and growing our economy," van Koeverden said. The investment is expected to generate domestic employment particularly in Toronto and Vancouver, two of the primary host cities.
The Canadian government has scheduled its Celebrate Canada tour to run across the entire country during the tournament, with events stretching from Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory to St. John's in Newfoundland to Victoria in British Columbia. Van Koeverden framed the World Cup as a unified national effort rather than something confined to major cities.
The tournament kicks off in Canada on June 12, and van Koeverden appears convinced that the convergence of world leaders, packed stadiums, and shared celebration could accomplish what months of closed-door trade talks have not.
Author James Rodriguez: "Using a soccer tournament to broker a trade deal is either inspired thinking or a long shot, but van Koeverden clearly believes the personal chemistry on the sidelines might matter more than the spreadsheets in the negotiating room."
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