Olivia Chow setting up FIFA World Cup committees to ensure financial stability for Toronto

Mayor Olivia Chow has announced she is setting up a number of committees to ensure Toronto walks away from the FIFA World Cup in 2026 with financial stability.

It comes after the cost of hosting six games during the tournament ballooned to $380 million from the original $300-million estimate.

Canada, which is co-hosting the event alongside Mexico and the United States, will stage 10 opening-round games — split evenly between Vancouver and Toronto.

Toronto will play host to Canada’s first group match on June 12 at BMO Field.

“We have a responsibility to the people of Toronto to make these games a success not only in the lasting connections they build across communities, but also their financial success,” Chow said in a media release.

Chow has appointed former councillor and budget chief David Soknacki to be a special envoy to her during the FIFA planning and process.

She has also expanded the Executive Steering Committee, which was first created in 2020 to provide leadership and oversight for the FWC26 Toronto.

Chow will chair the committee while Deputy Mayor Mike Colle will serve as the alternative Chair.

Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie, as well as councillors Shelley Carroll and Michael Thompson, will be members on the committee as they will play leadership roles in other subcommittees for the games, including a Champions Table for fundraising.

The two other subcommittees are called the FWG26 Forever, whose focus is creating excitement around the games and community outreach, and FWG26 Subcommittee, which is focused on the spending plans for the tournament.

“We need all the skills that we have named, whether it is to fundraise, to find donations or to keep the expenditure tightly controlled or the environmental human rights … It is critically important that the game is not just exciting but also done well,” said Mayor Chow.

Deputy Mayor Ausma Malik, who is the Chair of Exhibition Place and the local councillor for where the FIFA World Cup will take place, will also be on the Executive Steering Committee.

Other external stakeholders will also be on the committee, including provincial, federal and Indigenous representatives and partners.

“If we don’t have a structure, it’s hard for people to participate. And the Games is for all of us, not just [the] mayor, not just councillors, but all of Toronto and each councillor represents an area and a diversity of skills,” said Chow.

“So we’re putting in detailed plans. I’ve seen a good many of them. Yes, there’s going to be hiccups on the way, but we will deal with them and we’ll deal with them responsibly,” added Soknacki.

Mayor Chow has also said that she hopes that the federal government does step forward and provide it with a third of the costs as well.

The Ontario government has conditionally committed to giving Toronto up to $97 million for the city’s FIFA World Cup hosting duties as long as the federal government matches its contribution.