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Shaun Lowther, executive director of the Alberta Soccer Association, expects a couple of sleepless nights in anticipation of the FIFA Congress vote Wednesday to determine the site of the 2026 World Cup tournament.

A joint submission by Canada, Mexico and the United States, with Edmonton as a possible host city, is up against Morocco for the right to hold the event.

“It’s an absolutely massive opportunity for the sport of soccer to get a stranglehold in Canada,” Lowther said. “If you look at the 1994 World Cup that was held in the U.S., that was a springboard that really propelled U.S. soccer into a different stratosphere in terms of their ranking as a soccer nation.

“It’s the biggest sporting event in the world, there is no question about that. All the best players in the world from all the major countries will be here if the bid is successful. That’s going to bring media attention from all over the world and push the game to new levels.”