FIFA World Cup fever hits Winnipeg

Winnipeggers are excited about the FIFA World Cup as Canada takes the field. CTV's Daniel Halmarson reports.

FIFA World Cup fans in Winnipeg will need to travel east, west, or south to see the action in person, but the excitement around the global event is alive and well in Manitoba’s capital.

On Friday, ahead of Canada’s historic game in Toronto against Bosnia-Herzegovina, fans flocked to Royal Sports on Pembina Highway to pick through a sea of red, white, and black Canadian jerseys, shirts, and hats.

“The red Canadian jerseys are the most popular, but we’ve been getting a good mix of all of them,” Royal Sports floor manager Rowan Shymko told CTV News.

Shymko said it’s been a busy few weeks at the sports equipment and apparel store with fans of all 48 countries competing in the tournament searching for gear.

“[We live in] such a diverse city and country,” Shymko said. “You want to make sure that everyone has something they can get from their country.”

It’s a similar story over at The Flag Shop in South Osborne, where flags from all over the world have been flying off the racks.

“We see a lot of people buy a Canada car flag with a [flag from] a country where their family history is from,” The Flag Shop’s Mathew Hobson said. “So, you know, Canada and Portugal, they’ll fly one on one side of the vehicle and one on the other.”

Hobson said Bosnia and Herzegovina flags have been among the most popular as the team’s appearing in the World Cup for the first time since 2014.

“It’s a little bit of fun and a little bit of a challenge trying to predict who’s going to stay in the tournament, who to stock up on, and that sort of thing,” Hobson said.

Meantime, restaurants and bars are hosting Canadian watch parties throughout the tournament to encourage Winnipeggers to cheer on the national team together.

On Friday, former Canadian National Women’s Team midfielder Desiree Scott took in Canada’s opening match at Boston Pizza on Taylor Avenue.

The Winnipeg native, who played in three World Cups and has three Olympic medals to her name, handed out Canadian gear and signed autographs for the swath of supporters.

“It’s an amazing moment,” Scott told CTV News. “And to be in Winnipeg celebrating the beautiful game, bringing communities together here at Boston Pizza—it’s awesome.”

Scott said nothing beats representing Canada on the world’s biggest stage.

“Anytime you put on that red and white jersey, you’re thinking, how can I go out there and put on a performance that we can be proud of, that Canadians can rally behind, and get excited about?”

Canada’s first-ever FIFA World Cup game on home soil ended in a 1-1 draw thanks to a 78th-minute goal from Cyle Larin, earning the team’s first-ever point in the tournament’s history.

Canada will play its second game of group stage against Qatar on June 18 in Vancouver.