In the lead up to the 2026 Fifa World Cup, Rajwani says MLS teams need to ensure games are viewed on national television

The men's soccer match between the U.S and Canada was not broadcast on Canadian television

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – There’s a good chance you didn’t see the Canada men’s soccer team beat the US 2-0 Tuesday night.

The game was not broadcasted by a single Canadian TV network.

UBC Sports Marketing expert Aziz Rajwani says it’s a big missed opportunity for Canada Soccer, adding the league should be trying to build interest in the sport in the run-up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

“The league itself, the Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal franchises should all be involved in promoting the sport,” he says. “They need to market matches like this to make sure they are shown on national television.”

He adds with the FIFA World Cup fast approaching, it’s the perfect time to market to fans of the sport.

“As we move towards that date, there’s an opportunity to make sure that as many people in Canada and the U.S are watching the match. It’s a missed opportunity.”

He’s calling on Canada Soccer to work with MLS teams to make sure big national soccer games get better exposure.

“The MLS teams should have made sure this game was viewed by as many people as possible because they need to have the U.S men’s National Team and Canada’s Men’s National Team. The better those teams perform, the more exposure it means for MLS Soccer in North America as well.”

Canadians could only view the game via online streaming. It was the men’s team’s first win over their American rivals in 34 years.

-With files from Kurtis Doering