Canada’s sports minister hopes World Cup can lead to trade agreement with US and Mexico

• North America will host this summer’s tournament

• European fans encouraged to visit Canada for World Cup

Canada’s sports minister, Adam van Koeverden, has expressed confidence that hosting the World Cup this summer could be the key to agreeing a new trilateral trade deal with the United States and Mexico.

The three World Cup hosts are facing a deadline of 1 July for a mandatory review of the existing free trade agreement between the countries, the USMCA, and initial discussions have been problematic.