(Toronto) The City of Toronto now estimates it will cost $380 million to host World Cup soccer matches, an increase of $80 million from the 2022 forecast, in part due to the addition of another match on the schedule.
Toronto and Vancouver are the Canadian cities that will host matches during the 2026 World Cup, also played in the United States and Mexico.
Toronto’s city manager and World Cup organizing director say in a report released Monday that city staff reviewed planning assumptions, cost estimates, revenue and benefit opportunities after that the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) announced this month that Toronto had been allocated six matches, five in the group stage and one knockout match.
The report links the estimated $80 million cost increase to the fact that Toronto will be awarded a sixth group stage match, instead of the five initially planned, as well as an assessment of supplier quotes, safety requirements and security and inflationary uncertainty.
The report notes that hosting costs should be shared by all levels of government and that earlier projections, based on five group stage matches, predicted the World Cup would generate an additional $392 million in gross domestic product for Toronto.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow says she’s excited the tournament is coming to her city and “can’t wait” for the action to begin in June 2026, but she wants the public to be informed about the rising costs.
The mayor added that she wanted to make sure small businesses also benefit from the World Cup and that her goal was to involve “as many Torontonians as possible.”