Was World Cup a success or failure for Toronto? We may never know

Officials cite soccer investments as reasons to celebrate despite average fan being priced out of attending games

Published Jul 20, 2026  •  4 minute read

Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Ermedin Demirovic (10) fights for the ball as Canada’s Luc de Fougerolles (4) holds him from behind during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group B match between Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina at Toronto Stadium in Toronto on Friday, June 12, 2026. Photo by (PHOTO BY HYUNGCHEOL PARK/Postmedia)

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For the time being, the city prefers to discuss the chasing of dreams rather than the chasing of dollars.  

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With the World Cup coming to an end following Spain’s 1-0 win over Argentina on Sunday, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow discussed the local portion of the tournament. 

“The most important thing now is to make sure we build on that momentum, from the investments in soccer facilities and youth programming to the lasting benefits of our communities and local businesses,” Chow told reporters at a Monday news conference. 

The mayor emphasized the new soccer facilities at Centennial Park and the four mini-pitches being built across the city as proof of the game’s endearing legacy. City manager Paul Johnson pointed to permanent upgrades at BMO Field, investments in sports technology and youth programming and environmental improvements completed as part of the tournament. 

Most of all, Chow stressed that the diverse nature of the game appeals to every culture in the city. The game speaks to anyone who is willing to listen. 

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“It just sparks a dream,” Chow said. “Anybody can play.” 

Ultimately, money in and money out may well define the legacy of the World Cup in Toronto. And that will take months before the truth is known.

Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo, right, celebrates after scoring his team’s first goal from the penalty spot during the 2026 World Cup round of 32 football match between Portugal and Croatia at the Toronto Stadium in Toronto on July 2, 2026. Photo by (Photo by Cole Burston / AFP via Getty Images)

Overflowing with emotion

One endearing television moment occurred when thousands of enthusiastic fans in red jerseys marched to the stadium for Canada’s opening game against Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 12. Canada has hosted many international games at BMO Field, none with that kind of atmosphere outside the stadium.

Or maybe it was the sheer power when superstars collided as Luka Modric of Croatia and Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal led their teams out in front of a sellout crowd for the round of 32 game here on July 2. At the very least, both sets of supporters showed passion for their team, players and country.

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Overpriced

The average fan was priced out of the market from the get-go as tickets for the Canadian men’s national team opener against Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 12 had reached $2,700 on the resale market. By early June, those tickets were listed at $1,370.

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In early April, StubHub listed the Category 1 tickets for the Canadian opener at $62,000. In early June, those Category 1 ticket prices had dropped to $3,135. 

Several websites reported that the Canada game did not sell out. Toronto Stadium’s capacity was listed at 43,036. The announced crowd for the game was 43,002, while the announced crowd for the Ghana and Panama game was 42,942. 

FIFA reported that Germany versus Cote d’Ivoire, Croatia versus Panama, Senegal versus Iran and Croatia versus Portugal were all capacity crowds.  

Some tickets for the Modric-Ronaldo head-to-head match were going for more than $30,000. The cheapest single seats sold for more than $2,600.

According to Ticketdata.com, the round of 32 matchup was the ninth most expensive ticket in the World Cup with $2,024 US needed just to get in the door hours before the match.  

The cheapest ticket was Ghana and Panama at $615 US. The cheapest ticket for the opener in Toronto was $1,082 US. 

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Bubble bursts

In February, Airbnb announced a $1,000 incentive for people in Canada who listed properties on its app and had a guest stay before July 31. Airbnb said that Toronto was among the cities with the highest uptake on the offer.    

A study prepared for FIFA by Deloitte Canada found hosting the World Cup could contribute $940 million in positive economic output in the GTA, including adding $520 million to the city’s gross domestic product and average earnings per host projected to be around $2,000 US per game.

Deloitte also estimated 28,000 people were expected to stay at an Airbnb host’s property. 

Two hosts contacted by the Toronto Sun said the hoopla was a double red card.

“We only had one guest for two days who came from Boston to see a FIFA game,” an anonymous host said.

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The host didn’t want to be identified, lest the city decide to enact some sort of penalty on his rental business.

“We have not been able to command the prices that the city and Airbnb anticipated,” they said. 

Matthew Collins tried to rent out his property, a one-bedroom apartment in Mimico. Collins said his location was a 20-minute bike ride from Toronto Stadium. In his opinion, “you couldn’t really have a better location for the World Cup than my place.

“I didn’t have a single inquiry about anything related to the World Cup,” he said. “I bought into the hype too much and it was way overblown.”

Art of the FIFA World Cup fan festival planned in Toronto. Photo by Handout /City of Toronto

Festival fiasco

Last year, the city said that tickets for the FIFA Fan Festival would be free to people with a game-day ticket, but the city changed its mind and chose to charge $10 for general admission. After a public outcry, the city reversed its decision in April. 

However, there was still a charge for those wanting a premium seating experience with tickets ranging from $100 to $300 per game.  

Some of the complaints about the Toronto festival included overcapacity constraints that left thousands waiting in long lines, grievances over abrupt weather evacuations with no refund, poor air quality cancellations and missing or late staff pay

On Monday, the city said more than 350,000 people attended the festival over 23 event days.

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