2026 World Cup in Canada… A sports dream costing over one billion dollars

Ottawa —
A report issued by the Parliamentary Budget Office revealed that hosting the 2026 World Cup matches in Canada will cost governments more than one billion dollars, a figure that has reopened the debate about the real cost of major sporting events and their economic feasibility.

According to estimates, the cost of hosting the matches in Toronto and Vancouver will be about 1.066 billion dollars, with the federal government bearing 473 million dollars, while the rest of the costs are distributed among other governments.

Canada will host 13 matches out of 104 matches in the tournament held between June 11 and July 19, 2026, in partnership with the United States and Mexico. Seven matches will be held in Vancouver and five matches in Toronto.

The most striking figure in the report is that the average cost per match will be about 82 million dollars, raising questions about the size of public spending at a time when governments face significant pressures in housing, healthcare, infrastructure, and essential services.

Supporters of hosting believe that the tournament is not measured only by the direct cost, but by what it can achieve in terms of tourism and commercial returns, enhancing the image of Canadian cities globally, and stimulating the hotel, restaurant, transportation, and services sectors.

However, critics warn that previous experiences in hosting major sporting events have shown that costs often exceed initial estimates, especially in the areas of security, operations, infrastructure, and logistics.

The debate also focuses on the level of transparency in distributing the financial burdens among governments, and whether the expected returns will actually reflect on citizens or remain confined to specific sectors.

As the tournament date approaches, it seems that the discussion in Canada will not be limited to football and audience attendance, but will extend to a broader question: how can hosting be turned into a real economic and tourism gain without becoming a long-term financial burden on taxpayers?