Wayne Gretzky offered his support to the Canadian men’s national soccer team during their build-up to the 2026 World Cup. And he also shared a hilarious detail about the one and only soccer jersey he’s ever received.
Canada is hosting the 2026 World Cup together with the United States and Mexico next summer, meaning they’re automatically qualified for the major sporting event. Canada ended the calendar year with a win against Venezuela in a friendly game – and perhaps, Wayne Gretzky played a part in that.
Wayne Gretzky’s soccer story
The Great One was invited to talk to the team before the game, and Wayne Gretzky traveled to Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale and shook hands with the team before the game, before giving them a pep talk – and also talking about the invite he received from head coach Jesse Marsch.
“Thanks for the invite. (Marsch) invited me to the game the other day. Actually, he invited me to practice. I didn’t even like practice when I played. I said I’d come to the game instead of practice,” Gretzky joked.
“I’m excited to be here. I didn’t play a lot of soccer growing up. It wasn’t as popular in Canada as it is now. You guys have helped make it more and more popular. So, good for you guys. And I know you’re all excited about the upcoming World Cup. We’re all excited to see you guys play. I’m going to be in Washington on December 5 for the draw. I hope you guys enjoy yourselves. You should be very proud to represent our country. Congratulations to your families.”
READ MORE: How Wayne Gretzky changed Mario Lemieux’s entire career
Wayne Gretzky was later handed a Canada jersey with “Gretzky 99” on it. After receiving it, The Great One shared hilarious details about the one and only soccer jersey he’s ever received in his life, prior to the Canada one. It was from the English team Tottenham Hotspur.
“I will tell you, I received one soccer jersey in my life. It was at a Tottenham game. And they spelled my name wrong,” Gretzky said.
READ MORE: Wayne Gretzky gets brutally honest about Connor Bedard
