The FIFA World Cup arrives in Canada in just over a week and will run from June 11 to July 19. Six of the tournament’s 104 matches will be played in Toronto at BMO Field. As the City prepares for one of the world’s largest sporting events, enthusiasm among Torontonians remains abundant but also cautious. Many have concerns about whether the city’s infrastructure will be able to withstand hosting the World Cup. Toronto’s success as a host will largely depend on whether the benefits outweigh the challenges posed by the anticipated increase in traffic congestion and the already high tourist volumes during the summer.

Expanding the stadium

As one of the tournament’s three host countries, Canada automatically qualified for the World Cup. The nation’s opening match against Bosnia and Herzegovina kicks off in Toronto on June 12 and is set to become one of the most-watched broadcasts in Canadian history, with an estimated half a billion viewers worldwide.

Matches in Toronto will take place at the newly renovated BMO Field, renamed to Toronto Stadium for the competition. With an additional 17,756 temporary seats, the venue capacity will increase to over 45,000 spectators. 

The $158 million overhaul of BMO Field initially provoked mixed reactions online over the safety of the expanded seating. However, the concerns were put to rest during the sold-out match on May 9, in which Toronto FC faced superstar Lionel Messi and Inter Miami. The game served as a successful dress rehearsal for a larger audience. 

The blueprint for traffic

With over 300,000 projected visitors to Toronto during the World Cup, officials have undertaken extensive planning to manage transportation and circulation across the city. In coordination with the TTC, the Ministry of Transportation, and Metrolinx, City officials promise to limit road congestion through a public transit-first approach. They hope that Toronto’s public transit system will be the primary mode of travel for visitors, despite projections of a 10–15 per cent increase in vehicles on major downtown roads during the tournament. 

With Exhibition Station serving as the key transit hub for attendees at BMO Field, the TTC intends to increase subway service by 40 per cent and bus service by 30 per cent on match days, implement overnight streetcar service, and expand GO and UP Express train frequency. City officials also plan to close major roads near Exhibition Place, including the stretch between Lake Shore Boulevard and East Liberty Street, and suspend parking. 

These changes will be made to encourage the use of public transit or alternative transportation methods, such as biking or walking. By squeezing car traffic out of downtown, the City is betting that a seamless transit experience will mitigate gridlock concerns — a theory that is about to undergo a massive stress test.

While City officials remain confident in their preparations, many residents and experts still question whether Toronto will be able to handle the potential scale of the disruption. According to a report by Canadian tech company Geotab Inc., Toronto ranked last out of all World Cup host cities in preparedness for transportation pressures. Other experts warn that City officials might be underestimating the number of visitors in Toronto, with their projections likely based on the 2015 Pan American Games, a less popular event.

Bringing the party to the streets

Beyond technical logistics, Toronto intends to elevate the World Cup fanfare through its FIFA Fan Festival at the Fort York National Historic Site and The Bentway. The festival will operate at no cost to attendees and run throughout the 22 days of the tournament’s residency in the city. Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow has noted that the celebration is an effort to counterbalance the staggering ticket prices for official matches — which sit at around $1,300 per seat — and improve accessibility to the festivities for all city residents and tourists. 

Highlights of the festival include live match broadcasts, live music featuring headliners such as Alessia Cara, cultural showcases, and a colourful variety of street food vendors. Nathan Phillips Square will also serve as a hub for World Cup fans with match broadcasts alongside art displays. 

The citywide festivities will continue into the night, with bars and restaurants allowed to serve alcohol until 4:00 am, as the Ontario government seeks to boost business sales. The move is sure to transform Toronto’s bustling nightlife atmosphere during the World Cup.

A unique opportunity for growth

Despite skepticism about Toronto’s preparedness, the World Cup’s arrival promises to deliver immense cultural, economic, and broader geopolitical payoffs for the City. 

Toronto ranks fifth among all 16 host cities for travel interest, presenting a massive opportunity to deliver a world-class experience for both domestic and foreign visitors. According to an economic assessment released by Deloitte Canada, the World Cup could generate up to $940 million in positive economic output for the GTA. Supported by a $380 million budget, the City is hoping that these long-term benefits will justify the investment. 

Local businesses eagerly await the busy summer after a brutally long winter. The mega sporting event also carries long-term reputational value for the city, with Toronto’s mayor at the time of the announcement, John Tory, describing it as a “once in a generation opportunity to showcase Toronto to the world.” 

Hosting the World Cup already feels like a symbolic win for Toronto, considering that Canada’s first match will be on home soil downtown. Additionally, the World Cup is arriving in North America at a geopolitically contentious time, particularly marked by a fracture in US-Canada relations. In this climate, Toronto has an opportunity to demonstrate for visitors its celebration of diversity as a rich multicultural hub, where humanity can be shared amidst global uncertainty.

Whether Toronto’s World Cup preparations prove successful will only become clear after the first whistle blows. Until then, the best course of action is to embrace this unprecedented excitement, and enjoy the rare opportunity to watch one of the world’s greatest sporting events unfold in our city.