Soccer is a popular sport in Canada; whether it’s played in a competitive or recreational league, or just for fun in the backyard, soccer is a sport that many Canadians get a real kick out of!
Although indoor fields and sports facilities allow us to play soccer year-round, summer means the grass is green, outdoor fields are open and soccer season is in full swing!
There are lots of soccer fields across the country, while some are real grass, others are artificial turf. In 2020, there were 9,755 rectangular sports fields (natural turf) and 563 artificial turf fields in Canada.
In 2023, more than half (55%) of Canadians aged 15 years and older reported participating in different types of sports, including soccer. Getting outside to kick around the soccer ball is a great way to enjoy the fresh air and get some exercise this summer.
Playing soccer is particularly popular among certain population groups. It was the most common sport played among the Arab population (40%) and the second most common among the Black population (31%) in 2023.
Immigrants were also more likely to have reported playing soccer. In general, the Canadian-born population was more likely to have participated in winter sports—such as ice hockey, skating, skiing and snowboarding—compared with immigrants, who were more likely to have played soccer, tennis or basketball.
While some of us like to kick the ball around, others may prefer to just sit back and watch. If you’re a soccer fan, you may be gearing up to cheer on your favourite teams in this year’s Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Euro or Copa America. The UEFA Euro will take place from June 14 to July 14, and the Copa America will take place from June 20 to July 14. Soccer fans from around the world will be tuning into these two professional soccer tournaments this summer.
Canada is home to all kinds of sports fans. In 2022, businesses in the spectator sports, event promoters, artists and related industries subsector earned $11.1 billion in operating revenue, up 51.6% from 2021.
Operating revenue of the spectator sports industry group, which includes sports teams playing in front of a paying audience, horse race tracks, racing events and independent athletes, rose 60.0% to $3.9 billion in 2022. Admissions to live sporting events accounted for nearly half (49.7%) of the sales for this industry group.
Whether you’re a soccer player or soccer fan, we hope you have a ball this soccer season!
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