Co-hosting the World Cup did not bring the Canadian city of Toronto much in the way of economic gain, according to new data.
The Toronto Stadium – otherwise known as BMO Field – played host to six games during the 2026 World Cup, the last of which saw Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal reach the last 16 with a dramatic win over Croatia.
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Toronto also put on a FIFA Fan Festival at Fort York National Historic Site and The Bentway and that will continue to be an option for supporters in the city.
Despite all of that, an expert thinks that FIFA’s model means that the city itself has not raked in as much money as one might initially think.
Expert says Toronto did not make huge money during World Cup run
Speaking to CBC, former Toronto Mayor David Miller said: “They’re sharks [talking about FIFA].
“They really do ensure that every single cost is passed on to the hosts.”
FIFA take a large share of the revenue generated by a host city during a World Cup, which is part of the reason why Chicago decided not to host any games at this year’s tournament.
Any city who do host games, meanwhile, have to carry the cost of such a huge operation. That includes everything from public transportation, security measures and VIP services.
A report from the Parliamentary Budget Office says that taxpayers shelled out $380million to host six games.
Still, Miller did speak about just how good for a city hosting a World Cup game actually is despite the huge costs.
“They’re fabulous for the city, and people love them when they’re going on. It creates tremendous community, excitement and joy.”
Canada have one more game to host in this year’s World Cup. A round of 16 game on July 7 between Switzerland and Colombia will be played in Vancouver.
The Canadian national team, meanwhile, have recently been knocked out of the World Cup. Their first ever journey into the knockout stages of the competition ended in Houston as Jesse Marsch’s team lost 3-0 to Morocco.
It is the furthest Canada have ever been in the tournament and their 6-0 victory over Qatar in the group stages was their first World Cup win in history.
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