The City of Hamilton is looking to create an interactive map of “cheer zones” across the city for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is jointly hosted by Canada, the United States, and Mexico.
The tournament begins on Thursday, June 11 and runs until Sunday, July 19, 2026, and is the world’s largest sporting event.
The map is meant to provide residents with a central place to find out where they can cheer for their favourite teams and which establishments will be broadcasting matches.
A presentation regarding the cheer zones was brought forward at the Business Improvement Area Sub-Committee by Eric McLoughlin, a Tourism Product Development Specialist for Sport Tourism with Tourism Hamilton.
The goal is to help attract people to local businesses to watch matches.
A general intake form was distributed via email to all establishments throughout the city via local BIAs.
Through the intake form, businesses will be asked to confirm their commitment to showing matches and can also indicate if they wish to represent a particular country.
Tourism Hamilton will then be marketing the campaign.
Individual establishments can register, but McLoughlin says that a group of establishments can come together to create “villages” representing specific countries.
The intake form will close in mid-April, with the map launch set for mid-May.
McLoughlin explained that there are some guidelines put in place by FIFA and the city for public viewing events, including licensing requirements for some gatherings.
Licenses are not required for businesses such as bars, restaurants, and hotels that wish to show matches as part of their usual service, as long as the event has under 1,000 people, is free to attend, and has no sponsors.
Larger community events of over 1,000 people require a license and fee.
Additionally, any events that involve ticket sales, sponsorships, or have commercial intent require a license and are subject to specific restrictions.
Public event applications are also required for anyone seeking to host an event on City of Hamilton property.
Those applications require approval from the Special Events Advisory Team (SEAT).
In terms of marketing, businesses are not permitted to use FIFA branding.
The presentation suggested that businesses can create window displays, have country-themed promotions, feature soccer or country-inspired menu items, and adjust their hours of operation around match schedules.
Key dates and times for Canada are Friday, June 12 at 3 p.m. against Bosnia and Herzegovina, Thursday, June 18 at 6 p.m. against Qatar, and Wednesday, June 24 at 3 p.m. against Switzerland.
Semi-final matches will be held on Tuesday, July 14 at 3 p.m. and Wednesday, July 15 at 3 p.m.
The Bronze Final is Saturday, July 18 at 5 p.m. with the World Cup Final on Sunday, July 19 at 3 p.m.
Anyone with questions about the initiative is asked to contact McLoughlin at 905-973-2819 or eric.mcloughlin@hamilton.ca.
Based in Hamilton, he reaches hundreds of thousands of people monthly on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. He has been published in The Hamilton Spectator, Stoney Creek News, and Bay Observer. He has also been a segment host with Cable 14 Hamilton. In 2017, he received the Chancellor Full Tuition Scholarship from the University of Ottawa (BA, 2022). He has also received the Governor General’s Academic Medal. He formerly worked in a non-partisan role on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
