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Edmonton could add to its impressive portfolio of hosting international sporting events and get a handy free kick to the economy if it can secure some 2026 FIFA World Cup matches.

A list of 44 proposed host cities — including Edmonton and Calgary — was released Tuesday by the United Bid Committee of the U.S., Mexico and Canada, the muscle behind the push to have the world’s largest sporting event split between three nations.

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In all, seven Canadian cities have shown interest in playing host to soccer’s showcase tournament but some of those could be scrubbed off the list because of their stadium’s seating capacities — all stadiums are required to have at least 40,000 seats. Commonwealth Stadium seats more than 60,000 people.

Even though the bid process is in its infancy, the thought of hosting up to four matches is a tantalizing opportunity for the city’s director of partnerships and event attraction, Ronna Bremer-Todd.