Treasured solid gold World Cup trophy lands at Pearson Airport in Mississauga

Canada might not yet be competitive enough to win a FIFA World Cup championship, but the iconic trophy did arrive on Canadian soil earlier today (Nov. 9) via Pearson Airport in Mississauga.

As part of a global tour, the much-sought-after solid gold FIFA World Cup trophy is in the GTA to give Canadians a close-up look at what Canada’s men’s team will be competing for when the next World Cup soccer tournament gets underway on Nov. 20 in Qatar.

The treasured cup arrived on board the widely-recognizable Coca-Cola World Cup tour plane.

This marks the first time Canada has been included in the World Cup tournament in 36 years, the men’s team last competing in 1986 in Mexico.

Canada lost to France, Hungary and the then-Soviet Union by a combined 5-0 in that tournament.

The latest version of the Canadian men’s team could be more competitive this time around, but it’s still in for a tough go in a grouping with Belgium, Morocco and Croatia.

Belgium is ranked No. 2 in the world, Croatia sits at No. 12 and Morocco checks in at No. 22.

Canada is No. 41, a significant improvement from a one-time No. 72 ranking as recently as early 2021.

Brazil is the top-ranked club in the world while Argentina (No. 3), France (No. 4) and England (No. 5) round out the top five.

The United States is ranked No. 16.

The 13-pound World Cup trophy was unveiled to the public at a brief ceremony at Pearson Airport today before making its way to BMO Field at Exhibition Place in Toronto for a sold-out “fan activation” event.

In addition to competing in the 2022 World Cup, Canada will also help host the 2026 global tournament. Toronto is one of 16 cities across Canada, the United States and Mexico that will host World Cup matches four years from now.

The current FIFA World Cup trophy tour, staged by Coca-Cola, will see the famous trophy brought to all 32 countries that qualified for the Qatar tournament.