Winning Pitch: Canada’s Search for World Cup Success and Beyond

In 2026, millions of soccer fans will have their eyes on Canada as we co-host the Greatest Show on Earth: the FIFA World Cup in Vancouver and Toronto. And they will wonder—will Canada men’s team be heroes or heartbreakers? Winning Pitch – Canada’s Search for World Cup Success and Beyond provides expert insight into the question of what it will take for Canada’s national men’s team and soccer in Canada to be successful in 2026 and beyond. Though it had recent success at the Copa América, Canada’s men’s soccer team has been here before. The incredible story of Canada’s first World Cup in 1986—featuring many players from British Columbia—and our second appearance in Qatar in 2022 were followed by big letdowns. They provide important lessons for the future. With more books about soccer in Canada focused on memoirs from standout Canadian soccer greats, something is missing. Winning Pitch – Canada’s Search for World Cup Success and Beyond fills the gap with a more comprehensive look at the culture and systems necessary for securing Canada’s future football fortunes. Weaving together interviews with coaches, fans, executives and players, as well as his own reflections of more than five decades in the sport as both a player and an executive, author and lawyer Murray Mollard criss-crosses the country to understand the people and ideas that shape our history and future with the Beautiful Game.