{"id":356030,"date":"2026-06-25T04:36:13","date_gmt":"2026-06-24T23:06:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/?p=356030"},"modified":"2026-06-25T04:36:14","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T23:06:14","slug":"how-soccer-support-group-voyageurs-is-electrifying-canadas-world-cup-run","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/2026\/06\/25\/how-soccer-support-group-voyageurs-is-electrifying-canadas-world-cup-run\/","title":{"rendered":"How soccer support group Voyageurs is electrifying Canada\u2019s World Cup run"},"content":{"rendered":"

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When Rob Notenboom first got involved with Canadian soccer supporters\u00a0group\u00a0the\u00a0Voyageurs\u00a0around 2005, he had no idea what it could grow into.<\/p>\n

Now the president of the organization, he says fans have embraced the boys\u2019s national team throughout the\u00a0World\u00a0Cup\u00a0in a way that\u2019s exceeded his \u201cwildest expectations.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cInterest has never been higher. We will type of barely sustain with it,\u201d he said in an interview Monday.<\/p>\n

Hundreds of fans have joined\u00a0Voyageurs-led marches through Toronto and Vancouver, and on Wednesday they\u2019ll be out in force again, marching to BC Place for\u00a0Canada\u2019s\u00a0match against Switzerland.<\/p>\n

Notenboom said the\u00a0Voyageurs\u00a0will probably be honouring Canadian midfielder Isma\u00ebl Kon\u00e9, who suffered a broken leg in last week\u2019s match against Qatar, and so they\u2019ll print out 3,000 copies of Kon\u00e9\u2019s number 8 to display throughout the match.<\/p>\n

He said the\u00a0group\u00a0has also been working on a banner to carry up throughout the game in honour of Kon\u00e9.<\/p>\n

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Notenboom said the goal\u00a0is\u00a0to point out players that supporters \u201chave their backs 100 per cent.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cKon\u00e9\u00a0is\u00a0the one which got injured, and yes, we wish to ensure that he individually understands that all of us recognize his sacrifice and what he\u2019s put into all this, but it surely translates out to the players as well \u2014 that they not only have our support, but that they\u2019re all playing for one another, and we\u2019re there for them too,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s an unlucky event, but we desired to capitalize on it in a positive option to make a little bit of a press release, in order that\u2019s what we\u2019re attempting to do at that game.\u201d<\/p>\n

Notenboom helped lead the march in Vancouver last Thursday and said he didn’t realize\u00a0how\u00a0big the gang behind him was until he saw videos the following day.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt was just massive,\u201d he said. \u201cIt was really something. We\u2019re quite happy with that really.\u201d<\/p>\n

The\u00a0group\u00a0has been planning its events in Toronto and Vancouver since around December, liaising with police in addition to city and FIFA officials, but Notenboom said he didn’t anticipate the swell of support that got here when the tournament kicked off.<\/p>\n

The energy generated by fans on the marches has been palpable.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe march itself type of took on a lifetime of its own,\u201d Notenboom said. \u201cWe didn\u2019t anticipate in our wildest dreams that it could snowball like this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chanting, drumming, waving flags and smoke canisters and wearing red, hundreds of fans joined the Thursday\u2019s march down the \u201clast mile\u201d to BC Place.<\/p>\n

Voyageurs\u00a0organizers have been leading the crowds in cries of \u201callez\u00a0les\u00a0Rouges,\u201d and call-and-response chants.<\/p>\n

Notenboom said Wednesday\u2019s march, which assembles at 9:30 a.m. and can depart at 10 a.m. from around Quebec and Central streets, \u201cwill still be huge.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019ll be tons of energy and the stadium itself will once more be this incredible sea of red,\u201d Notenboom said.<\/p>\n

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