Grassroots soccer is easy to overlook. It unfolds in public parks, on unbooked fields and is organized through WhatsApp groups rather than formal institutions. Yet in cities like Guelph, Ont., these gatherings are doing important social work: creating connection, trust and belonging across differences — ones that are often difficult to bridge elsewhere.
As the 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by Canada, draws to a close and the country celebrates its self-image as a multicultural society, questions remain about what meaningful integration looks like in everyday life.