The 2025 World Series is shaping up to be more than just a battle for baseball supremacy—it’s a collision of sporting legacies, city pride, and cultural icons. When the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers take the field in Toronto on Friday, October 24, fans on both sides of the border will witness a matchup loaded with history, drama, and a few headline-grabbing subplots that extend well beyond the diamond.
For the Toronto Blue Jays, this moment has been over three decades in the making. Their dramatic Game 7 victory over the Seattle Mariners in the American League Championship Series (ALCS) propelled them into their first World Series since 1993, igniting a wave of national pride across Canada. The win didn’t just mark a baseball milestone; it became a symbol of the country’s enduring underdog spirit, especially at a time when political tensions between Canada and the United States are running high.
The rivalry between the two nations has always simmered beneath the surface of major sporting events. But recent years have given it a new edge. Just last week, during the American League Division Series, New York Yankees fans booed the Blue Jays and the Canadian national anthem—a moment that echoed far beyond Yankee Stadium. For many Canadians, it was a charged reminder that baseball, long considered America’s pastime, can also serve as a battleground for national identity.
“In this climate, any Canadian team taking on an American one with something significant on the line is going to galvanize that underdog mindset,” says Adam Ali, a sociology professor at Western University in London, Ontario. “It’s not just fans who get caught up in it—politicians do, too. Everyone’s using sport as a way to promote particular brands of nationalism; brands largely created on enmity, which has not always been the norm between Canada and the U.S.”
Indeed, the historical context is hard to ignore. From Donovan Bailey’s iconic gold medal sprint in 1996 to the 2006 World Baseball Classic “Miracle on Dirt,” and the legendary Canada-U.S. hockey showdowns, Canadians have long used victories on American soil as proof of their national mettle. This year, with Donald Trump back in the White House and trade-war rhetoric in the air, the Blue Jays’ playoff run feels like a subtle rebuke and a rallying point for unity north of the border.
According to the Pew Research Centre, Canadian opinions of the U.S. have reached their lowest point since 2002, with confidence in the American president also scraping historic lows. The result? A surge in “Buy Canadian” campaigns, a dip in cross-border travel, and a renewed focus on local culture—including, of course, baseball. The Blue Jays’ journey has united fans from coast to coast, offering a rare moment of national togetherness.
What makes this Blue Jays squad particularly special is how it reflects the diversity of modern Canada. The team’s stars include Canadian-Dominican slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Mexican catcher Alejandro Kirk, embodying the multiculturalism that defines the country. “The Jays, alongside the Raptors and soon the WNBA’s Toronto Tempo, offer non-white Canadians more opportunities to see themselves in the athletes who represent them,” Ali notes. In a sports culture still dominated by men’s hockey, where whiteness remains the norm, that representation matters. Every home-run trot and dugout celebration feels like proof that Canadian identity is evolving—bigger, bolder, and more inclusive than ever before.
But this World Series isn’t just about national pride or sporting achievement. It’s also become a cultural spectacle, thanks to the high-profile rivalry between two of hip-hop’s biggest stars: Toronto’s Drake and Los Angeles’ Kendrick Lamar. The best-of-seven series is reigniting attention on their public feud, which began in 2024 when Lamar challenged Drake’s claim to rap’s “Big Three” on Future’s hit track “Like That.” What followed was a barrage of diss tracks and public exchanges that dominated music headlines through 2024.
Drake, a five-time Grammy Award winner and the Toronto Raptors’ global ambassador, has long been a visible supporter of his city’s sports teams. Kendrick Lamar, with 22 Grammys and a Pulitzer Prize to his name, is an equally passionate fan of the Dodgers, Lakers, and Rams. Their ongoing feud has added a layer of intrigue to the World Series, with fans eagerly watching for any public comments or gestures from either artist as their hometown teams face off on baseball’s grandest stage.
The Dodgers, for their part, are seeking to become the first repeat champions since the New York Yankees’ late-1990s dynasty. Led by a star-studded roster, Los Angeles enters the series with the swagger of a city accustomed to winning. Toronto, by contrast, embraces its underdog status, rallying around the idea of unity and resilience. The matchup is more than just a clash of baseball titans—it’s a broader contest of identity, artistry, and civic pride, much like the spirited rivalry between Drake and Lamar that has helped define each city’s cultural landscape.
“The 2025 World Series, then, is more than just a battle for the Commissioner’s Trophy—it’s a modern reflection of identity, art, and loyalty,” one article observed. As Drake’s Toronto meets Kendrick’s Los Angeles, baseball and hip-hop are once again sharing the same beat.
Drake has already been spotted celebrating the Blue Jays’ playoff triumphs, while Lamar’s silence has fans speculating about a possible response before the series begins. Both artists have deep ties to their hometown teams: Drake has thrown first pitches and appeared in Blue Jays promos, while Lamar has long connected Dodgers baseball to LA’s creative scene. The stage is set for a series that could see sports and sound collide in unforgettable ways.
Amid all the excitement and cultural crossfire, some Canadians are pausing to reflect on what kind of nationalism the country wants to build. Ali points out that while sporting victories offer cathartic, if temporary, release, there are deeper challenges to address—such as advancing reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and ensuring that the nation’s newfound unity is truly inclusive. “While sport has been utilized as a way for us to symbolize that we’ll go ‘elbows up’ to prevent an American take-over,” Ali says, “we’ve largely failed to recognize the connection between this and the fact that Canada itself is a settler-colonial country.”
Still, as the Blue Jays prepare to take on the Dodgers, there’s no denying the surge of pride and anticipation sweeping across Canada. The games will be broadcast throughout North America, doubling as acts of cultural diplomacy and community celebration. Whether you’re tuning in for the baseball, the music, or the sheer spectacle, this World Series promises to deliver something for everyone.
With the first pitch just days away, the nation’s hopes—and anxieties—are converging on Toronto’s Rogers Centre. Will the Blue Jays capture their first title in over thirty years, or will the Dodgers cement their place in baseball history? One thing’s for sure: as the spotlight shines on both the field and the cultural forces swirling around it, the 2025 World Series is set to be a classic for the ages.
