FIFA World Cup games will be played in Vancouver and Toronto when Canada, the United States, and Mexico co-host the men’s tournament in 2026.

Edmonton was also considered as a potential venue but the Alberta capital was not among the host cities announced by FIFA on Thursday.

Joining Vancouver and Toronto as hosts are the American cities of Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Kansas City, Dallas, Atlanta, Houston, Boston, Philadelphia, Miami, New York/New Jersey, as well as Mexico City, Monterrey, and Guadalajara in Mexico.

“We’re not hosting the largest ever World Cup just for kicks,” Premier John Horgan, said, in a statement.

“British Columbians will enjoy an economic boost to the tourism and hospitality sectors that will be felt for years to come. We look forward to welcoming the global soccer community to our province.”

The 2026 World Cup will be the first to feature 48 teams playing a total of 80 matches. The United States is expected to host 60 matches with 10 each in Canada and Mexico.

Vancouver was initially not one of the candidate cities, but it was added after Montreal dropped out of Canada’s bid last August after the Quebec government withdrew its support, citing cost overruns that would have been difficult to justify to taxpayers.

Premier John Horgan had similar concerns in 2018 but then walked it back, saying he was willing to re-consider hosting the World Cup as a way to help the tourism sector recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

B.C. Place in Vancouver hosted nine games during the 2015 Women’s World Cup, including the final which drew more than 50,000 fans, while Toronto hosted the 2019 Pan American Games.

Both B.C. Place and BMO Field in Toronto will require upgrades ahead of the 2026 World Cup. Vancouver is set to install a grass playing surface with Toronto expected to expand the stadium’s capacity to the FIFA minimum of 40,000.

– With files from The Canadian Press