Edmonton named 1of 6 host cities for 2015 Women’s World Cup
Other host cities include Moncton, Montreal, Ottawa, Winnipeg and Vancouver
FIFA, the international governing body of soccer, along with the Canadian Soccer Association have named Edmonton as one of six official host cities for the 2012 Women’s World Cup.
The Women’s World Cup is the largest single sports event for women in the world. It will be the first ever single sport event in Canada to be held from coast to coast.
“These games will be an inspiration for our young soccer players, great fast-paced entertainment for local fans and a fantastic way to share Alberta with millions of soccer enthusiasts around the world,” said Alberta Premier Alison Redford.
“The FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada is a fantastic opportunity for our country and we’re very proud to be a part of it,” said Edmonton’s Mayor Stephen Mandel. “When we host major events in Edmonton, we take the celebration beyond the stadium and it is embraced by our entire community. The summer of 2015 will be something really special for Edmontonians and the athletes and coaches we host from around the world will have a true Canadian experience.”
In 2002, FIFA Under 19 Women’s World Cup Championship final was held in Edmonton and had the largest audience ever for a women’s youth match.
“Canada 2015 has already made history as this will be the first FIFA Women’s World Cup in which 24 national teams will participate,” said FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter, who attended the announcement in Ottawa. “The Host Cities play a crucial role in delivering a FIFA competition, and I am sure that seeing world-class footballers across Canada will inspire a whole new generation of girls and women to get involved in the game.”
Canada was selected in 2011 as the host country for the Women’s World Cup. The CSA then began the selection process to narrow down a list of applicants to 6 host cities.
The other host cities in 2015 will be Moncton, New Brunswick; Montreal, Quebec; Ottawa, Ontario; Vancouver, British Columbia; and Winnipeg, Manitoba.
The federal, provincial and municipal governments are partnering with the Canadian Soccer Association to present the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015.
Early next year CSA and FIFA will announce the schedule of which games will be held in the host cities. All games will be held in Commonwealth Stadium.