Toronto hosting the FIFA World Cup is a ‘once-in-a-generation-opportunity.’ Here’s why

The countdown has begun.

Toronto will host the first ever FIFA World Cup game on Canadian soil exactly one year from today on June 12, 2026.

It will be one of six World Cup matches slated for the city – including a round of 32 match - with Vancouver set to host another seven matches.

An expanded BMO Field will be temporarily rebranded as Toronto Stadium for the occasion, in keeping with a FIFA policy.

And fans can expect a host of other events around the city, including an official fan festival.

“This is just enormous. Ever since FIFA awarded the World Cup to Canada, (the United States) and Mexico back in 2018—seems so long ago, really—we’ve never been more excited in anticipation, as this is one of the world’s largest sporting events,” Ontario Soccer CEO Johnny Misley told CTV News Toronto in an interview. “We’re preparing behind the scenes to take full advantage of this. It really is a once-in-a-generation opportunity.”

Here is what you need to know about the FIFA World Cup and what it could mean for the city:

The economic impact of the 2026 World Cup—both in how much it costs, and how much it’ll bring in

Toronto is looking at a hefty bill to host the tournament next year, as it is projected to cost around $380 million to hold the six games here. The federal government is putting up $104.3 million to help cover the costs with the provincial government providing around $97 million—meaning Toronto is on the hook to front around half that tab, at $178.7 million.

The city had hoped the province would contribute money toward tournament expenses but a report prepared by city staff recently revealed that nearly half of the province’s contribution comes in the form of services it is providing, like health care, policing and transportation. The latest estimate for those services—still in negotiation—cost around $39 million leaving less cash than expected to offset city expenses. That said, Mayor Olivia Chow tabled a motion, approved by council, directing the city manager to curb World Cup expenses to around $340 million until the city has found savings or secured enough money (through intergovernmental funding or other revenue sources) to front the full $380 million budget.

• READ MORE: Chow’s office calls lower estimate for provincial FIFA cash for Toronto a ‘clawback’

While hosting the tournament comes with a hefty price tag, the World Cup is also expected to generate considerable revenue for Toronto’s economy.

The city says the major sporting event is expected to generate serious cultural and economic benefits, from tourism growth to job creation. Last December, Deloitte Canada released an economic impact assessment estimating the World Cup could generate up to $940 million for the Greater Toronto Area’s economy. Broken down, $520 million is projected to come in GDP growth, $340 million from labour income and $25 million from government revenue. It is also forecast to bring more than 6,600 jobs until 2026.

“If you look at the impact of past World Cups, I think those numbers seem very reasonable,” Daniel Tisch, president and CEO of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce told CTV News Toronto.

With the last World Cup in Qatar in 2022, held nearly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, FIFA reported selling around 3.18 million tickets across the tournament’s 64 matches. The organization said it generated US$686 million in revenue from ticket sales, with average attendance rate hovering around 96.3 per cent.

Outside of an injection of revenue into the local economy, there will also likely be some long-term impacts for Toronto too—a “lasting legacy,” as Tisch describes it. BMO Field, as an example, is receiving a $146 million makeover to boost capacity and “enhance stadium infrastructure, technology and overall appeal.”

“If you look at something like the Ontario Line that’s being built right now or upgrades to Pearson Airport (…) the lasting legacy includes better infrastructure, it includes a stronger global brand that will have a long-term benefit for tourism and repeat business because people want to come back to somewhere where they’ve had a great experience,” Tisch adds.

What could the next World Cup be like for tourists and locals in Toronto?

Building on that lasting legacy, Destination Toronto’s Andrew Weir says the FIFA World Cup will also have a long-lasting impact on the city.

“This has a significant long tail, this event, because the profile and reputation lift that Toronto experiences when you host these global mega events is significant and that stimulates more travel demand for the future,” Weir told CTV News Toronto.

With millions of soccer fans tuning into World Cup games in Toronto, Weir says the televised broadcasts will provide that “perfect destination postcard shot,” capturing part of what the city hast to offer for out-of-towners.

“Think about that (overhead) shot from BMO Field with the entire downtown core, the Princess Gates at Exhibition Place, the whole downtown core, the lake, the islands,” Weir said.

The tourism company’s president also noted Toronto’s vibrancy as playing a factor for drawing fans in to watch the game. Already there is a FIFA Fan Festival announced, where music, food and live broadcasts of the game will take over Fort York National Historic Site and The Bentway. The city said the goal is to deliver an “outstanding” host city experience to showcase all Toronto hast to offer, adding it remains “open to hosting major international events” aligned with the city’s goals.

“I’ve always said Toronto is the place you want to be for a World Cup because whatever team is playing, or whatever two teams are playing, there’s an energy around that game because there’s a community here to celebrate those teams,” Weir said. “You can move around the city and go experience any (…) matches at restaurants and bars with that community—there’s not a lot of cities you can experience that.”

Torontonians may be concerned about the influx of tourists clogging up their roadways—the city’s FIFA secretariat is even proposing restricting traffic in the neighbourhoods surrounding BMO Field—Weir says he hopes locals take advantage of the momentous occasion.

“When we’ve had celebrations in the past, when Taylor Swift was here, when the Pan-Am Games were here, it may cause come inconveniences because of either traffic rerouting or street closures, but that’s part of why we live in a big city—because we want to be where big things happen,” Weir said.

Local soccer leagues hope for boost with Toronto FIFA World Cup

Holding the World Cup in Toronto will act as “catalyst” in boosting numbers for local soccer leagues—at least that’s what the president of Toronto Soccer Association hopes.

“It’s going to represent the pinnacle of what’s possible in our own backyard. I’m hoping that there’s going to be a surge in interest after this because our clubs—our community clubs—they deserve this,” Ross Cannone told CTV News Toronto.

“Like all sporting events that happen—like the Olympics or if we win the World Series—it always helps the sport that it belongs to, and we’re hoping this pushes us back because we lost a lot of numbers after COVID.”

Ontario Soccer, meanwhile, has launched a years-long campaign to take full advantage of the excitement expected to be generated by the World Cup.

“We impact a million households in Ontario, 500,000 players play the game in this province, I every community, so we wanted to make sure that we get people excited this year and do a number of activities to get them sort of focused,” Misley said, adding there are two main objectives to get people into the ball game.

“One is to engage Ontarians in every community and second is to really celebrate the culture of the sport, which can mean viewing parties, it can mean playing, wearing your favourite colours even, participating in local homes and barbecues and restaurants and doing parties (…) all around the province.”

With files from CTV News Toronto’s Laura Sebben