Can you attend World Cup matches in Canada on an eTA or visitor visa?
Canada is set to co-host the FIFA World Cup in 2026, and international fans are already planning their trips. Many want to know what they need to enter the country to see the matches. Simply put, most spectators will require either an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) or a visitor visa for Canada, depending on where they are from. There won't be a special "World Cup visa" for fans. Going to a major sporting event like the World Cup counts as standard tourism. This means visitors will use the regular temporary resident routes already in place for people coming to Canada. You just need to figure out which of these options applies to you.
No special World Cup visa for fans
Many people mistakenly think Canada might create a new visa specifically for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. That's not happening. Canada's immigration system is well-established, with existing processes for temporary visitors. If you're coming to Canada just to watch World Cup matches, you're considered a tourist. This means fans will apply for either an eTA or a temporary resident visa (TRV) (also known as a visitor visa), depending on their country of origin. The Canadian government rarely creates special visa categories for single events, even one as massive as the World Cup. The priority is making sure all visitors