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Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
And hello there. Peter Mansbridge here. You're just moments away from the latest episode of The Bridge. It's Thursday. That means your turn. What do you think of the World Cup? Do you care?
Chapter 2: What are the initial thoughts on the World Cup?
It starts tonight. Canada plays its first game tomorrow. Your thoughts on the World Cup coming right up. And hello there, Peter Mansbridge here. Thursday's Your Turn is all about soccer. The World Cup starts today. Do you care? Canada's playing in the World Cup. Canada's never won a game in the World Cup. In fact, it was just in the last World Cup.
in Qatar that they scored their first ever goal in a World Cup game. So for the Canadian team, this is a big deal because the game is in Canada. It's in Toronto tomorrow night. Anyway, the question was pretty straightforward. Do you care about the World Cup? And we got quite a few answers. So I won't take you long to figure out where most of them ended up in terms of the care question.
But let's get into it because there's some interesting thoughts here. Dave Cole from Wallaceburg, Ontario. That's an hour east of Windsor is our first up today. I know sports bring people together and are an important part of society. Although there are limits when it comes to spending tax dollars on a sport, $1.06 billion of our tax dollars is being spent on this event.
The federal government is contributing $473 million and $593 million split between provincial and municipal governments. This money would be better spent on other needed programs. Henry Wall in Listerwell, Ontario. That's not far north of Stratford. Henry's a man of few words. Am I interested in the World Cup? No. Phil Cole of Fredericton.
FIFA is one of the most corrupt organizations in the world. I might catch the final. Don Whitmore in Kelowna, BC. I would sooner watch the World Cup of paint drying. Okay. Anne-Marie Klein in Toronto. I am deliberately avoiding this World Cup like I did the last two in Qatar and Russia.
Between Trump's ridiculous FIFA Peace Prize, ticket gouging and heavy costs to Canadian taxpayers, along with Trump's disgraceful treatment of certain national teams and visitors, everything reeks of ever increasing corruption. As a lifelong fan who loved the Euro and World Cup events, I now refuse to give FIFA and UEFA my time or money.
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Chapter 3: How does the Canadian team's participation impact public interest?
UEFA is the Union of European Football Associations, the governing body of soccer in Europe. Lana McLaren in Vancouver. Do I enjoy professional men's soccer as a sport to watch on TV? No. In person? Can't afford it. Watch live FIFA TV games? No. The ads are awful. We'll tape the semis and the finals so I can fast forward through the ads.
Our Canadian national teams, especially the women, get my views. Go Canada. Okay, that's what I kind of have for you. Terry Sims in Victoria. Soccer is so boring I'd rather stick needles in my eyes than watch it. Really? You'd rather stick needles in your eyes than watch soccer. I don't believe there's any real interest except in our major cities. By the way, Vancouver is losing their club.
A little explanation on that. That's the Vancouver Whitecaps of Major League Soccer. The team is up for sale. Reports say it may move to Las Vegas, though there are efforts to keep it in Vancouver. However, the commissioner of the league has said there isn't enough corporate support in Vancouver and no local solution is obvious. Back to Terry's writing.
As for me, I'll finish watching the Stanley Cup Finals, the ultimate sport of agility, finesse, power, and aggression. That's a real beautiful game. I'll enjoy summer until October comes, and we start all over again with hockey. I'm scratching here, looking for the first unequivocal, I like soccer. I like the World Cup. David Chief in Smith, Alberta.
That's at the confluence of the Lesser Slave River and the Athabasca River. It's almost 200 kilometers north of Edmonton. Regret to say, but as a kid, poor vision, wearing glasses, and lack of aggression ruled me out from playing most team sports. So not much interest in soccer. Especially dislike couch potatoing for any sport. Attending live is fun, but way too expensive.
However, I'll definitely cheer if Canada wins. That could change everything, right? If Canada suddenly won a World Cup soccer game. They play tomorrow night against, what, Bosnia. They win. Some of these people will watch the next game. Steve Rouswell in Burlington, Ontario. I'm unable to take soccer seriously as a sport, not because it isn't athletic or creative or competitive enough.
It's all of those, but because the culture of it is willing to accept the deliberate feigning of injury for the purpose of gaining an advantage through the imposition of penalties. If a player thinks they can get away with it, they will, and no one at any level seems to care. Until this is corrected, I will have no interest. It is pretty pathetic, some of the diving that you see in soccer.
John Minchell in Comox Valley, B.C. I'm interested in the World Cup. Not particularly. While I might follow it and watch it, I am not one who is very interested this time. I also believe that FIFA has not been very effective in promoting a collective experience where everyone can get together and just enjoy the beautiful game. Don Dufour in Ottawa. I will not be watching World Cup soccer.
Growing up in a large Italian neighborhood in Toronto, I vividly remember when Italy won in 1982 and the pandemonium of horns, flags, and parties that overtook our streets. Although our kids played soccer in their teens here in Ottawa and we enjoyed cheering them on, I will stick with cheering for the Blue Jays and Senators as there are only so many sports hours in my day.
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Chapter 4: What are the financial implications of hosting the World Cup?
Chris Judge in Ottawa. I moved to Canada from England 28 years ago, and I followed my club team for 50 years. But I am definitely not excited by the World Cup. I'm saddened and sickened in equal measures by FIFA, arguably one of the most dishonest sports governing bodies in the world. Everything from the Trump Peace Prize. Really? To the skyrocketing ticket process.
They've hijacked the game I love. Well, there's a soccer fan. But it is so upset by FIFA that they won't watch. Josh Como in Montreal. I better watch if England's in the final. Josh Como in Montreal, I don't care about the World Cup, and I think sports are a net negative for society.
In the words of the legendary Scatman John, everybody's born to compete as he chooses, but how can someone win if winning means that someone loses? Who's Scatman John, you ask? He was an American musician, real name John Paul Larkin, who passed away in 1999. Christine Van Egmond in Hamilton. I'm a longtime sports fan, but I'm conflicted.
Today, many fans are priced out of attending games, while verbal and physical violence in the stands seems more common than ever. Player entitlement, owners prioritizing profits, and the rise of sports betting have diminished much of the enjoyment of watching and attending major events, including the World Cup.
I'll be cheering for Canada's first win, or even a draw, but I'm unsure how much of the tournament I'll watch. Marilyn Wallace, Fanny Bay, B.C. The decision to host the World Cup has delivered a huge disservice to Canada's taxpayers. It slapped us with a billion dollar price tag just as a recession is looming.
Not only that, the astronomical cost of a World Cup ticket means that very few average citizens can afford to sit in the stands. And then we are told there are limited funds for additional soccer pitches for our own young players. Messed up priorities. Leo Bourdon in Ottawa.
I play and watch a lot of sports, including hockey and soccer, so I will be watching Team Canada, and I hope we become a contender. However, I dislike how FIFA and other sports organizations, like the NHL, prioritize money over fans. I bet Montreal's economy benefited more from the playoff run of the Habs than Canada will from the World Cup. Scott Jansen in New Westminster, B.C.
As a youth soccer coach for 13 years, the World Cup means sharing the game with my family and community. We won't be buying tickets. We'll be at the free fan events, cheering for Canada and watching matches with friends and extended family. For large groups and young families, affordability makes the free events the real World Cup experience.
Expect to find the kids and grassroots soccer community at the fan festivals, not in the stadium seats. Gary Gould in Brantford says, My interest in the FIFA World Cup is zero. Why would I spend my tax dollars to fund a sporting event?
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Chapter 5: How do listeners feel about FIFA and its controversies?
I look forward to meeting guests visiting from around the world, all visiting Toronto to cheer on their favorite team. David Chapman in Kirkland Lake, or sorry, in Kirkland, Quebec. That's on Montreal's West Island, not Kirkland Lake. That's northern Ontario, home of Dickie Duff. My favorite hockey player from the 60s. A little bit in the 70s, too.
Played for the Leafs, played for the Habs, won six Stanley Cups, but I digress. David Chapman. I don't care about soccer, least of all the World Cup. Money and greed have gotten in the way of the beautiful game. And the drama acting shown by these athletes has also become a major distraction. These guys wouldn't last five minutes on the ice. Jeff Fisher, Riverview, New Brunswick.
When a soccer player can take an 87-mile-an-hour soccer ball to the nose and play the next game, I'll start watching. Until then, it's hockey and NASCAR for me. Denis Saint-Hilaire in Winnipeg. I used to care about and enjoy the World Cup every four years, but now this event has been spoiled by FIFA's financial greed and by Trump, who has politicized absolutely everything.
So now I care about my grandchildren's soccer matches, even if they're too young to know which net to defend or score on. I look forward to hearing how big a fail the 2026 World Cup will be. Sad. Very sad. Maggie Wilson in Victoria. I'm not a huge fan of soccer, but I appreciate the game. I love watching highlights of great goals and games.
But this Infantino-led FIFA debacle, that's Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, is perhaps more cringeworthy than the last two in Qatar and Russia. He loves the dictator. It has a huge environmental impact. Ticket prices are obscene and the whole thing smells of greed and rot. It does not follow the spirit of the game. Brian Hoyle in Bedford, Nova Scotia. For sure, I'll be watching.
But the tournament's insane costs and the draconian rules and demands of FIFA are tough to swallow, need to be changed. Have a read of a book published in 2010 titled The World is a Ball by former Globe and Mail television critic John Doyle. His book celebrates the good-spirited revelry and fun of smaller-scale World Cups held several decades ago. Oh, for those times again.
Roland Lewis in Gatineau, Quebec. I enjoyed playing soccer when I was young. Watching soccer, to me, is boring. Same applies to basketball. Obviously didn't watch that game last night. Fun to play, but boring to watch. Huge waste of taxpayer money that FIFA enjoys spending on everyone's behalf. The Stanley Cup is important to this Canadian. Jason Heliopoulos in Kingston.
Being a Toronto boy, born and raised, I, of course, would cheer for Canada. However, after living in Japan for 22 years, marrying a Japanese girl and having three boys together, one of them is a phenomenal soccer player, we also support and cheer for Japan. But mom, being from England, thus making me half English, in my heart, I am rooting for England. Harry Kane. Kate Wilson in Toronto.
You know, first of all, Jason, with a name like Heliopolis, there's got to be some passion for Greece in there, too. Kate Wilson in Toronto. I care about the World Cup because we are hosting in Vancouver and Toronto. I want us to show pride in our country, which we should have for many reasons. A flag is in the condo window and my Canadian swag t-shirts are ready to wear.
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Chapter 6: What do fans think about the accessibility of World Cup events?
We're going to find out your thoughts on all this. in just a moment's time. You're listening on Sirius XM, channel 167, Canada Talks, or on your favorite podcast platform. Glad to have you with us. All right, let's get to the Random Ranter. I gave you a heads up on what it's about. Let's go for it, Mr. Ranter. Here he is.
I don't know about you, but I'm pretty sick and tired of hearing the Americans whine about Canadian trade irritants. It's a real joke, and all the hand-wringing around Kuzma negotiations is their movement, is their progress. There's a meeting, then there's no meeting. It's all a bunch of BS. The Americans are not serious negotiators.
They're not professional diplomats, and they're not looking for a win-win of any sort. I don't even think they're looking for a deal in the conventional sense. I think to Trump, we're just another box to tick on his grievance revenge tour. And when it comes to making a deal, I think the only thing he wants from us is everything.
But he'll settle for tribute, obedience, and some acts of contrition for all our sins against his MAGA America. Now, even if you think I'm overstating it, it's hard to argue that the Americans are negotiating in any kind of good faith. I mean, the tariff started with a fabricated fentanyl crisis that cost us $1.3 billion.
And in the end, after spending all that money and going through all that effort, nothing changed on the tariff front.
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Chapter 7: How does public sentiment vary across different demographics?
Then we ceded and have continued to cede our entire digital landscape to the Americans by killing any attempt at taxing the tech bros and the big streaming services. Where is that getting us? Finally, there's the tariffs tied to Trump's forced labor farce. Apparently, we're weak on human rights and forced labor, said the people behind Alligator Alcatraz.
Maybe if they want us to really crack down on forced labor trade, we should start by taking a long, hard look at the $11 billion worth of prison labor goods being produced in America this year. Let's face it, the Americans aren't serious. They have no respect for international treaties, decorum, or norms. They don't care about violating anything. I mean, nothing is below them.
Chapter 8: What conclusions can be drawn about the World Cup's significance?
They just bombed some water reservoirs in Iran. That's a war crime. That's a crime against humanity. And that's who we're negotiating with. That's who we're counting on to honor any kind of deal we might make. That's why I just don't understand how the powers that be are all so invested in negotiating a new Kuzma. Don't they see that any deal you make with the Americans is done at your own peril?
There'd be nothing written in stone in a new Kuzma, or for that matter, even pencil crayon. Any deal you make will always be subject to the many whims of Trump and the billionaires whispering in his ear while lining his pockets. Now, I'm not saying we shouldn't want to make a deal on a renewed Kuzma. We should.
Kuzma has been good for Canada, but we can't continue to negotiate from a position of wanting it so much more than they do. We can't be dealing with them on our back foot. We need to be prepared to walk away. We need to be confident in the fact that America needs us as much as we need them.
But the way it stands now, every time we give them something, they add something new to their list of wants. We back off on a streaming tax, and suddenly the issue becomes our few remaining retaliatory tariffs, like it's offensive to them that we even try to defend ourselves. I say screw that noise. Enough with the concessions. We need to fight fire with fire.
We've seen how disingenuous they are. We've seen the regrets other countries have had in making deals with them. And we've seen how dropping our elbows has done nothing for us. Because the truth is, they don't want us to just drop our elbows. They want us dropping to our knees. Well, screw that noise too. It's time to play tough.
I'd suggest we start by showing up at the next negotiating table with a Gripen fighter jet contract in hand, ready to be signed. And if that doesn't convince them we're serious, then we should sign it right there and then in front of them. After that, maybe we need a border crisis of our own. I mean, 85% of the handguns used in crimes in this country are coming from America.
Maybe it's time for a ban on all American gun imports. And even though I'm an AI hater, the government is looking to build sovereign data centers. Those use a lot of power. Maybe out of national security, we should start restricting our exports of electricity.
After that, if they're still not convinced, well, there is a world shortage of fertilizer, there is world demand for uranium, and I'm sure our new Swedish military partners would have some use for our armor-strengthening tungsten and scandium. Look, Trump keeps threatening that he might walk away from Kuzma and that America needs nothing from us. Maybe it's time we test that theory.
All right, I can already see the emails coming in on that one. The ranter must have had some kind of special energy pill this week. That was quite a rant. And I'm sure some of you are going to react to that rant. But today is about Sokka. It's about Sokka. And the World Cup, which starts tonight. And Canada's first game tomorrow night.
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