City of Toronto still sorting out World Cup funding with 13 months to go

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This article was published 22/05/2025 (308 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

TORONTO – Thirteen months before the FIFA World Cup kicks off, the City of Toronto is still wondering how to pay for it.

The cost of hosting six games in Toronto has been pegged at $380 million, with the federal government contributing $104 million and Ontario, including services, $97 million. Toronto’s tab is $178.7 million (47 percent of the total cost).

But a city staff report says the cost of providing services related to public transport, policing and hospitals, among others, has increased to almost $40 million in total — reducing the provincial cash contribution and adding to the city’s bill.

“I am not going to increase the budget any more than the $178 million that we’ve put aside. We can’t find go and find any more cash,” said Mayor Olivia Chow.

Ontario Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy says the province has also reached its limit.

“We stood up front and said we will be there for $97 million. We were very clear when we said that,” he told reporters Wednesday. “We did say at the same time, ‘That’s it,’ and they accepted that at the time.”

The city report says Ontario’s funding was intended “to provide cash to the city to offset tournament expenses, including capital infrastructure and legacy investments, and inclusive of any provincial services, like policing, transportation, and health care, required to meet the City of Toronto’s contractual obligations with FIFA.”

“While negotiations continue to be productive, provincial service costs are still substantially higher than budgeted, and in some cases completely unbudgeted.”

The $39,045,918 in estimated provincial service costs includes $14 million for Ontario Provincial Police, $15 million for hospitals — covering everything from EMS and paramedics to surge capacity — and about $6.6 million for expanded public transit, including station beautification.

“With one year to go, it is crucial the commitment from all stakeholders is confirmed and funding to cover tournament expenditures is secured,” the city’s FIFA World Cup 2026 subcommittee said.

A spokeswoman for the Canadian World Cup organizers said it is “not privy to correspondence or discussions between the City of Toronto and the province of Ontario. The agreement in question is between those two parties.”

The expanded 48-team soccer tournament is being co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States, with 16 host cities — two in Canada, three in Mexico and the remaining 11 in the U.S.

Canada will stage 10 opening-round games, split evenly between Toronto and Vancouver. The two cities will also each stage a round-of-32 knockout game, with Vancouver hosting an additional round-of-16 match at B.C. Place Stadium.

Mexico will also stage 13 games, with the U.S. hosting the remaining 78.

Mexico will kick off the competition on June 11 at Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium, with a second game later that day in Guadalajara.

Canada opens at Toronto’s BMO Field on June 12. The U.S. start their campaign the same day at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif.

Vancouver will host Canada’s two other opening-round matches on June 18 and 24 at B.C. Place.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 22, 2026