On Sunday, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a $1-billion investment in Canadian sports infrastructure, aimed at improving facilities, expanding access to sport and supporting the next generation of athletes. The announcement follows the conclusion of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where Carney praised Canada’s men’s soccer team for its historic performance while unveiling the largest-ever federal investment for Canadian sport. Carney focused on soccer in his statement, but alluded to general sports as well, raising questions about how the funding will impact runners.
The funding will focus on developing soccer infrastructure while supporting community sport more broadly. According to his statement the funding will be allocated to upgrade stadiums, fields and local parks, increase access to facilities and provide athletes with less expensive pathways to high-performance competition.
Will other sports benefit?
Although Carney’s announcement centres on soccer, it also points to broader investments across Canadian sports.
“While today marks the end of the World Cup, it marks the start of a new chapter in Canadian soccer and in Canadian sport,” Carney said. “We are backing the Canada Soccer National Training Centre to create a permanent national home for soccer, so the next Alphonso Davies or Christine Sinclair has the opportunities they need.”
The announcement also aligns with comments made in March by secretary of state for sport Adam van Koeverden, who told CBC News the federal government plans to make larger investments in sports to better support young athletes.
While soccer is the immediate focus following the World Cup, sports organizations across the country will be watching closely to see how the funding is distributed and whether they will benefit.
Team Canada takes silver in the men’s 4x100m relay at Tokyo 2025. Photo: Nick Iwanyshyn
Is track and field next?
Federal support for track and field has long been a source of concern, with many Canadian athletes struggling to secure resources needed to train and compete internationally. In 2025, founder of CANFund Jane Ross told Canadian Running that 80 per cent of Canadian Olympians rely on charitable donations from her organization.
Why 80% of Canadian Olympians rely on charitable donations
Facility access is another issue runners face and is one area where athletes could see indirect benefits. Many soccer pitches in Canada are surrounded by tracks, meaning upgrades to stadiums and community fields could also improve training infrastructure for runners. Better access to modern, high-quality facilities has become an ongoing challenge for athletes pursuing personal bests, national teams and international competition; and with this investment shift, runners may see improvements soon.
For now, the federal government has not released a detailed allocation plan and it remains unclear how the funding will be distributed or if funds will be directed towards sport outside soccer. Still, with elite Canadian runners, such as Erin Mawhinney, balancing full-time work alongside the demands of training and international competition, many in the road racing and track and field community will be hoping this investment extends beyond the soccer pitch.