Canadian Soccer Association president (and CONCACAF president-elect) Victor Montagliani says a decision on hosting World Cup 2026 could arrive by spring — and Canada could factor in to a single or joint bid with the United States and Mexico.

“We’ve already started (our bid) in a soft way,” Montagliani told the Toronto Sun before Christmas.

“We’ll find out more in January what this thing is going to look like. We have to make a decision thereafter from a CONCACAF perspective whether there will be three bids or joint bids or what it’s going to look like.”

On Wednesday, FIFA president Gianni Infantino told the Dubai International Sports Conference that World Cup ’26 almost certainly will be expanded to as many as 48 teams.

“I think it’s about time to move again,” said Infantino, who was flanked on stage by Montagliani. “I don’t know what the future will bring 20 years from now.

“For the time being, if we can have a full month, that doesn’t add an additional day or any additional matches, but brings so much joy ... we have to think about it.”

BIRTH OF A LEAGUE

Prospective ownership groups in more than a dozen cities Canada-wide have shown interest in acquiring a Canadian Premier League club, the Toronto Sun has learned.

“We’ve been working on the business model,” Montagliani told the Sun. “These things take time. They’re not going to happen overnight.

“But we’ve also had expressions of interest from a significant amount of ownership groups across the country. We’re doing our due-diligence on that.”

“We should be in a position in the early part of 2017 to have letters of intent that are required to move forward with the business plan and the technical side with the league.”

While Montagliani still pegs 2018 as the desired start year for the CPL, he said the key is to first get the right model and the right people involved in setting up the league.

The start date could be pushed to 2019.

BYE-BYE, JOHNSON

Orlando City confirmed Wednesday they’ve signed free agent Will Johnson to a multi-year deal.

Despite logging important minutes for Toronto FC in 2016, Johnson saw his playing time taper late in the season, leaving him little choice but to explore free agency.

And now he’s reunited with head coach Jason Kreis, who coached Johnson while the pair were in Salt Lake City.

Amid a 2016 playoff run in which Johnson started just one game for Toronto, the Canadian midfielder said he expected to play a bigger role down the stretch.

Therefore, playing time was one of the first boxes he needed to tick in determining where to feature in 2017.

Johnson’s departure leaves the Reds with considerably less mettle in midfield while putting an immense amount of added pressure on Armando Cooper heading into his first full MLS season.

With both Michael Bradley and Cooper expected to log an enormous amount of international and MLS games next year, Johnson would have been an important piece to play big minutes.

Instead, those minutes might need to be supplemented by Benoit Cheyrou, Jay Chapman and Jonathan Osorio, all of whom are considerably different players.

We understand the Reds wanted Johnson back, but couldn’t compete with the offer Orlando presented the two-time MLS Cup champion.

ORDER OF BUSINESS

Expect Toronto FC head coach Greg Vanney to receive a contract extension in the early part of 2017.

Vanney is entering the final year of a three-year pact he agreed to at the end of 2014.

“Bill and I would work on that together,” TFC general manager Tim Bezbatchenko said.

“It will probably be after the holidays in the new year. I think it will be one of the first orders of business.”

After compiling a roster that reached MLS Cup in 2016, Bezbatchenko is awaiting a similar conversation with president Bill Manning and ownership.

“Whenever Bill decides he wants to sit down and talk, then obviously I’ll be ready to do so,” he said. “I’m happy (in Toronto) if that’s the direction they want to go.”

SWANS SACK BRADLEY

English Premier League side Swansea City went in a different direction this week, sacking ex-U.S. men’s national team coach Bob Bradley — the father of TFC captain Michael Bradley — after just 11 games (2-7-2)

Bradley passed on opportunities to manage in MLS prior to stints in Norway and France. He’ll have options, of course, but it remains to be seen where he’ll land.

There will be no shortage of job opportunities in the U.S. over the next five years — especially when you consider MLS announced plans to expand to 28 teams by 2020.

You have to wonder if Los Angeles FC — which enters MLS in 2018 — will ask Bradley if he’s interested in returning to south California, where he managed now-defunct Chivas USA in 2006.

LAST WORD

You have to wonder if Montagliani will put in a call to Bradley’s agent, Ron Waxman.

Sure, it’s a longshot. But, who knows, perhaps Bradley will agree coach Canada through the next World Cup qualifying cycle.

With Michael — and his wife — in love with this city, perhaps grandpa Bradley wouldn’t mind living in Toronto and seeing his grandchildren every once in a while.