Toronto and Vancouver to host 2026 FIFA World Cup games

Toronto and Vancouver have been chosen as the Canadian host cities for the 2026 World Cup tournament.

FIFA made the announcement at a news conference in New York City on Thursday.

A total of 80 games will be divvied up between co-hosts Canada, the United States, and Mexico for the 2026 tournament with the U.S. expected to be awarded most of the matches, including the quarterfinals, semifinals and the championship game. Mexico and Canada are expected to get 10 each with the specifics of those games to be announced at a later date.

Toronto and Vancouver were considered front-runners among Canadian cities, with both having previously hosted major soccer events. Edmonton, which played host to Canada’s qualification run to this year’s World Cup in Qatar, was also in the mix but not chosen. Montreal dropped out of the running last summer after Quebec’s provincial government withdrew its financial support over concerns about cost overruns.

The selection of Toronto means BMO Field will need to add an additional 10,000 seats in order to reach FIFA’s minimum of 40,000 for World Cup games.

Vancouver’s BC Place, which hosted the 2015 Women’s World Cup final, may need a few changes ahead of 2026. The 54,405-seat stadium offers an artificial turf surface, which is currently not approved for FIFA World Cup games.

Among the U.S. ciites selected, none of the nine stadiums used at the 1994 World Cup were chosen.

Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca, which hosted the 1970 and ’86 finals and will become the first stadium in three World Cups, was selected along with Guadalajara’s Estadio Akron and Monterrey’s Estadio BBVA.

Your #FIFAWorldCup 2026 Host Cities:

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— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 16, 2022

Hosting World Cup games would cost Toronto $90M

A City of Toronto report estimates that hosting games would cost the city $90 million but would come with major benefits to local businesses and the tourism industry.

In April, city council voted 21-1 in favour of moving forward with plans for the city to host up to five matches at an estimated $290 million, with the city committing $90 million under the proposed framework of the deal.

“We have the capacity and facilities to create a unique and exciting event in 2026, and I know that our partners, city ambassadors and residents will play a key role in making this possible,” Mayor John Tory said back in November 2021 when the city played host to FIFA officials.

“A big event like the FIFA World Cup 2026 would not only help us showcase this part of our city but would play a big role in increasing our presence on the world stage and grow our economy.”

The 2026 tournament will be the first World Cup since 2002 that will be hosted by more than one country.

With files from Lucas Casaletto and HanaMae Nassar