JARVIS: Taxpayers foot bill for FIFA’s perks while it makes billions 

Torontonians are on the hook for at least $380 million to host the World Cup.

Published Jun 17, 2026  •  Last updated 20 minutes ago  •  3 minute read

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow celebrates with soccer fans at the unveiling of the FIFA World Cup countdown clock at Nathan Phillips Square. Photo by HANDOUT /DESTINATION TORONTO

While FIFA rakes in billions of dollars hosting the World Cup, taxpayers are footing the bill for the soccer federation’s perks and privileges. 

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Toronto taxpayers are on the hook for at least $380 million to host the World Cup. That’s way more than the original $30-45 million price tag Toronto politicians touted in 2018. 

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That’s because Toronto politicians and bureaucrats decided to hand FIFA executives a blank cheque to spend taxpayer money. 

The latest example in the saga is FIFA executives billing taxpayers for $334,803 worth of office expenses in five months, according to freedom-of-information records obtained by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. 

From December 2023 to April 2024, FIFA billed taxpayers for a variety of expenses according to the records. This includes more than $50,000 a month on leasing an office at the Toronto Carpet Factory, an office building that charges above-average rent compared to other offices in the area. 

Not only did FIFA charge taxpayers a quarter of a million dollars to rent an office space for five months, but taxpayers were put on the hook for decking it out. 

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FIFA billed taxpayers for $41,038 in desks

FIFA billed taxpayers for 28 desks, but not just any kind of desks. FIFA splurged on 28 height-adjustable workstation tables at a price of $41,038. That’s $1,465 per desk.  

And to go with the 28 height-adjustable desks, FIFA bought 60 office chairs, totalling $33,897, or $565 each.  

Toronto bureaucrats even billed themselves for helping out FIFA with its office. The city of Toronto billed itself for an $8,937 “project management fee,” most likely expenses for helping FIFA find and move into its office.  

Toronto politicians have no business forcing taxpayers to pay for FIFA’s office expenses when FIFA has plenty of money. 

Every four-year World Cup cycle, FIFA brings in eye-watering sums of cash. This year’s tournament is set to break records. FIFA is projected to rake in over $18 billion during the 2026 World Cup cycle.  

With that much money flowing into FIFA’s coffers, taxpayers should never be paying for FIFA’s office expenses. 

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In fact, Toronto taxpayers shouldn’t be giving FIFA a dime. 

Better ways to spend $380 million

There are much better ways to spend $380 million than on this year’s World Cup games. You can sign up over a million children into house league soccer or fill 15.2 million potholes with that money. 

But taxpayers are on the hook for ridiculous expenses from FIFA because Toronto politicians signed a bad agreement. 

Toronto taxpayers were billed $200,000 by the city for a boatload of World Cup-branded condoms and packs of lubricant.  

And Toronto taxpayers are on the hook paying for the international elite’s special perks. Taxpayers are paying to accommodate people FIFA deems to be “VIPs” or “VVIPs” with special border and customs treatment, police escorts and private lounges.  

All this wasteful spending means higher taxes for Torontonians in a city that is already squeezing taxpayers dry. 

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow hiked taxes by nearly 20% over the last three years. 

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City council hiked Toronto’s hotel tax by 42 per cent last summer — a tax that the CEO of the Greater Toronto Hotel Association, Sara Anghel, says places an additional burden on hotel owners. 

And don’t forget about Toronto’s skyrocketing building taxes, known as development charges, that politicians have hiked by 1,060 per cent since 2009. 

Chow and city council have failed to protect Toronto taxpayers by handing FIFA executives a blank cheque. The next time international sports executives come knocking for millions of taxpayer dollars, Toronto politicians need to remember this World Cup debacle and say no.  

– Noah Jarvis is the Ontario Director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation 

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