CIBC Poll: Every nation in the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ has a loud, proud cheering section in Canada's multicultural mosaic

Family roots, soccer idols fuel passion among Canadians cheering for the beautiful game; tweet your favourite country at #CIBCSoccerNation

TORONTO, June 10, 2014 /CNW/ - A new CIBC (TSX:CM) (NYSE:CM) poll finds that all 32 countries competing in this year's FIFA World Cup™ have a passionate fan base in Canada - from debutant Bosnia-Herzegovina to defending champion Spain.

With the poll showing that nearly half (46 per cent) of Canadians will be cheering for their favourite country during the tournament, their two most popular picks are: England (24 per cent) and World Cup host Brazil (13 per cent).

In the poll, top reasons for backing a FIFA team cited by Canadians who will be cheering include: familial roots or personal connection to the country, or they like the country or its style of play.

• 29 per cent of Canadians who say they will be cheering during the FIFA World Cup™ are doing so simply because they "just like the country"
• 26 per cent favour one FIFA country over another because of their heritage
• 14 per cent are rooting for a country because of its style of play
• 10 per cent are backing a country because they were born in or lived in that country
• 9 per cent are cheering for a country because their favourite club team or player is from that country

"Our poll clearly shows how multicultural Canada is," says Stephen Forbes, Executive Vice President, Marketing, Communications and Public Affairs, CIBC. "With sport having the power to enrich our communities and inspire our youth, we're excited to celebrate the world's most popular sport with Canadians at our cross-country CIBC Soccer Nation Tour."

As the Official Canadian Bank in Association with Visa of the 2014 FIFA World Cup™, CIBC is bringing the CIBC Soccer Nation Tour to Canadians, in partnership with CBC. This mobile soccer festival, with outdoor live-TV game broadcasts, freestyle soccer players, cheering booths and more fun activities, kicks off on June 13 in Vancouver with the Spain vs. Netherlands match. Other tour stops include Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto. For full details, please visit CIBCSoccerNation.com.

Canadians will also have the opportunity to cast a vote for their favourite World Cup country on CIBC's interactive Fan Standings chart and share their love for the team via #CIBCSoccerNation.

Canadians prove to be avid travelers

The poll data also shows that Canadians have visited all 32 qualified FIFA World Cup™ countries, with England the most-desired destination to travel (29 per cent) and the third most-visited country (26 per cent).

While only 6 per cent of Canadians have visited Australia or Costa Rica, they are two of the most dreamed of destinations - with a quarter (25 per cent) of Canadians listing Oz as the place they most want to visit, and 10 per cent listing Costa Rica as their top choice.

"Our poll shows Canadians love to travel," says Mr. Forbes. "Canada not only has a vibrant multicultural diversity but we want to see the world too, which is why CIBC created a contest for Canadians to win their dream vacation."

CIBC's Win a Million Aventura Points contest runs from May 1 to July 31, 2014. CIBC Aventura clients who use their credit card during that period could have a chance to win 1,000,000 Aventura points -- enough for a family of four to fly anywhere in the world, including the 32 qualified 2014 FIFA World Cup™ countries. See full contest rules.

KEY POLL FINDINGS:

Top five countries chosen by Canadians who will be cheering during the 2014 FIFA World Cup™, by percentage:

Top five countries that Canadians have personally visited, by percentage:

Top five countries that Canadians would most like to visit in the future or visit again, by percentage:

From May 14^th to May 15^th 2014, an online survey was conducted among 3,014 randomly selected Canadian adults who are Angus Reid Forum panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 1.8%, 19 times out of 20. The results have been statistically weighted according to education, age, gender and region (and in Quebec language) Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of Canada. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

About CIBC
CIBC is a leading Canadian-based global financial institution with nearly 11 million personal banking and business clients. Through our three major business units - Retail and Business Banking, Wealth Management and Wholesale Banking - CIBC offers a full range of products and services through its comprehensive electronic banking network, branches and offices across Canada with offices in the United States and around the world. You can find other news releases and information about CIBC in our Media Centre on our corporate website at www.cibc.com.

About CIBC's FIFA Sponsorship
CIBC is proud to be a broadcast partner and the Official Canadian Bank in Association with VISA of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™. CIBC is committed to enriching Canadian communities through the power of sport. We support causes that matter to our clients, our employees and our communities and aim to make a difference in communities through corporate donations, sponsorships and the volunteer spirit of employees.

SOURCE: Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce