BMO Field midway though a $146-million facelift ahead of 2026 FIFA World Cup

TORONTO – The new video boards are up and running at each corner of BMO Field, as is the stadium’s expanded video production control room. A new premium lounge awaits FIFA and its guests at the 2026 World Cup.

Phase 2 of the $146-million upgrades to the 18-year-old lakefront stadium will start in mid-November, with 17,000 temporary seats to be added (10,000 in the north grandstand, 7,000 in the south grandstand) bringing stadium capacity to 45,000 for the tournament to meet FIFA requirements.

The playing surface will be replaced, complete with new team dugouts. The stadium Wi-Fi, sound and lighting system will all be upgraded for the six games BMO Field will host.

A new stadium kitchen has been completed.

The city is paying $123 million for the stadium upgrades with MLSE, which manages the city-owned facility, contributing $23 million.

So far the stadium improvements project is on budget.

“We’re working together to expand the stadium to have it be ready for World Cup matches, to have it meet FIFA requirements which are not insignificant as we’ve learned,” said MLSE COO Nick Eaves. “But the good news is when we partnered with the city back in 2014-15 … MLSE spent about $100 million expanding the stadium which at least got us along the way to being FIFA-compliant and World Cup ready.”

“it’s been bit of a journey,” he added. 

Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment owns the stadium’s two major tenants: the CFL’s Toronto Argos and Major League Soccer’s Toronto FC.

The stadium has come a long way since it opened in 2007 with a modest price tag of $62.9 million. It hosted the FIFA U-20 World Cup final that year with Argentina defeating the Czech Republic 2-1, as well as TFC’s debut season.

Sharon Bollenbach, executive director of the FIFA World Cup 26 Toronto Secretariat, says talks continue between the city and province about a non-stadium-related shortfall.

A city staff report earlier this year said 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.

“Those negotiations are still ongoing and we’re getting close,” said Bollenbach.

As for traffic, Toronto organizers have a “fulsome mobility plan,” with help from a consultant and assorted transit officials,. according to Bollenbach.

“Most of that is put into place,” she said, adding the final touches will come once the exact timing of matches is revealed at the Dec. 5 draw in Washington, D.C.

“A match at 12 noon on a (weekend) is very different than having a 3 p.m. match that deals with end-of-day traffic on a Friday,” she said. 

Just don’t expect to find parking near the venue, to be rebranded Toronto Stadium during the expanded 48-team tournament.

“There will be very limited parking … We’re really going to be encouraging people to find other methods versus driving,” Bollenbach said. 

The stadium will be surrounded by a sizable security perimeter that may stretch as far as from the Gardiner Expressway to Lakeshore Boulevard. A new larger streetcar stop will unload passengers east of the Exhibition gates at Fleet Street.

The Toronto venue will host Canada’s first game at the tournament June 12 before Jesse Marsch’s team heads to Vancouver for its remaining two group games.

Toronto will host an additional four group-stage games plus one round-of-32 match. Vancouver will stage seven matches.

Mexico is also hosting 13 matches with the remaining 78 talking place in the U.S.

While the additional seats are temporary, the north end of BMO Field will have a new look after the World Cup with two levels of hospitality areas remaining. A rooftop patio will become a general-admission vantage point for TFC and Argo games.

The new video boards measure 50 by 30 feet (15.25 by 9.1 metres) with more than five million pixels.

“A huge upgrade” said Bollenbach.

The World Cup will leave BMO Field with a capacity of some 30,000, a couple of thousand over the current limit.

The second phase of construction will start immediately after the Nov. 15 Northern Super League final at the stadium and is scheduled for completion in March.

“It’s going to be a bit of a sprint, but so was the first phase,” said Eaves. “We’re ready for it.”

Once the upgrades are done, the venue will start staging test matches. FIFA officially takes over the stadium May 12, some 30 days before the first game.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 23, 2025.