Canada Soccer unveils new philanthropic programs, offers details on World Cup tickets

Neil Davidson · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Mar 03, 2025 10:26 AM EST | Last Updated: March 3

When not moving with the likes of Drake, Eminem, Rihanna, Justin Bieber and Beyonce, award-winning Canadian shaper Boi-1da describes himself arsenic a shot dad.

"She's 14. She plays OPDL [Ontario Player Development League] for Markham. She's truly good," helium said proudly. "I'm the shot dada connected the sidelines yelling. It's brought a full caller emotion to the crippled for me, conscionable having my girl beryllium a portion of it."

Boi-1da (pronounced Boy Wonder) has been charged with helped supply the soundtrack for Canada's roadworthy to the World Cup, successful 2026 for the men's and 2027 for the women.

Boi-1da has been named Canada Soccer's archetypal "national teams euphony ambassador" and volition oversee a programme titled "Perfect Pitch" that volition nutrient a World Cup-themed medium with proceeds going to the Canada Soccer Foundation to payment younker shot programs.

It's 1 of 2 caller philanthropic programs unveiled Monday by Canada Soccer.

The 2nd involves the Canada Red supporters' club, which is being revamped and enlarged — offering members respective tiers to entree tickets to Canada's 2026 World Cup matches.

Under main enforcement serviceman and wide caput Kevin Blue, Canada Soccer has looked for ways to summation gross — portion attempting to renegotiate an improved woody with Canadian Soccer Business, which looks aft selling and broadcast rights for some Canada Soccer and the Canadian Premier League. Blue turned to donors for assistance successful hiring some Jesse Marsch and Casey Stoney arsenic the men's and women's nationalist squad coaches.

Blue, Marsch and Stoney shared the signifier with Boi-1da, who was wearing an Edmonton Oilers Connor McDavid jersey, successful announcing the projects Monday.

"It's the archetypal clip I ever felt chill successful my life, I think," Marsch joked astir sitting adjacent to Boi-1da.

"Honestly helium reminds maine of our players," the manager added. "Incredibly humble, arrogant to beryllium Canadian. Really arrogant to usage his level to, I think, correspond the state moving guardant to 2026. This is going to beryllium an unthinkable partnership."

Over 100,000 members

Canada Red antecedently offered 3 tiers — the archetypal escaped and the different 2 astatine a outgo of $50 and $150 annually, respectively — with differing levels of entree to Canada crippled tickets and different perks. Canada Soccer says it presently has a small much than 100,000 members successful full crossed the 3 tiers.

The revamped Canada Red offers 7 levels, from escaped to $5,000 annually. Each tier provides entree to Canada Soccer's ticketing allotment lottery for World Cup games featuring the Canadian men — the higher the tier, the higher the chances of securing tickets.

FIFA traditionally reserves a information of each World Cup game's tickets for fans from the countries involved. This is Canada's method of distributing them. Canada Soccer besides utilized a Canada Red tiered attack for tickets for Canada's games astatine the 2022 World Cup successful Qatar.

Canada Red, the caller mentation of which launches successful the spring, "directly supports" the Canada Soccer Foundation, according to Canada Soccer.

"By becoming a subordinate of Canada Red, you are straight helping to physique a bequest of excellence successful soccer," Canada Soccer says connected the promotion's website. "Your generosity volition straight interaction the lives of athletes, coaches, and communities crossed the country, ensuring that shot successful Canada continues to turn and thrive."

"With Canada Red, the much you give, the much exclusive benefits you unlock," it adds.

Canada Soccer's allotment is for tickets to Canada matches only, including each of its 3 radical signifier matches. Canada Red members volition besides beryllium capable to petition conditional tickets for imaginable Canada knockout-round games, which volition lone beryllium issued if Canada advances.

Multi-tiered protagonist rank program

Members are not guaranteed tickets.

Each of the 7 Canada Red tiers volition beryllium allotted immoderate 14 per cent of Canada Soccer's summons pool. But Canada Red members successful the apical tiers volition person the champion accidental to entree tickets arsenic they volition person entree to the archetypal gully and each consequent gully afterwards.

U.S. Soccer has a akin multi-tiered protagonist rank programme dubbed Insiders. It has 8 tiers ranging from Standard Insider (free) to President Circle (US$10,000 a year) with perks to match.

The Canada Red programme is abstracted from FIFA's summons lottery, which traditionally has been unfastened to all. But successful the past, the FIFA summons gully has been for matches mostly alternatively than circumstantial fixtures.

Perfect Pitch volition beryllium directed and produced by Boi-1da, whose collaborations person included Drake's "God's Plan" and Rihanna's "Work."

Boi-1da was calved Matthew Samuels successful Kingston, Jamaica, and raised successful Toronto.

Nominated for 19 Grammy Awards, helium has besides collaborated with Eminem, Nicki Minaj, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Jay-Z, Rihanna, Cardi B, Beyonce, Justin Bieber, Maroon 5 and Ed Sheeran.