Toronto will find out if it has been chosen as a 2026 FIFA World Cup host soon. Here's when it happens
Toronto will find out next month whether it has been chosen as a host city for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The expanded 48-team tournament has already been awarded jointly to Canada, the United States and Mexico but FIFA has not yet revealed its list of host cities for the event.
Currently 22 candidate cities, including Toronto and Edmonton, are vying for the right to host games.
In a news release issued early Friday morning, FIFA confirmed that it will be making an announcement on June 16 about which 16 cities will be formally selected as hosts.
The announcement comes months after a November visit from a FIFA delegation to evaluate Toronto as a potential host site.
“In line with the previous stages of the FIFA World Cup 2026 selection process, any announcement will be made in the best interests of football, taking into consideration the needs of all stakeholders involved, as we aim to lay the foundations for the tournament to be delivered successfully across all three countries,” FIFA Vice-President and Concacaf President Victor Montagliani said in the release. “We can only reiterate our appreciation to all the cities and the three member associations for their efforts and dedication to this process.”
A staff report that was approved by city council in April pegs the total cost of hosting World Cup games in Toronto at $290 million, with the provincial and federal governments picking up approximately two-thirds of the tab.
Some of the bigger line items include $63.7 million in capital work to prepare BMO Field to host games and $41.2 million to build training facilities for visiting teams.
Staff have estimated that the event would generate $307 million dollars of GDP impact and bring 174,000 overnight visitors to the city.
“It will put Toronto on the map,” Mayor John Tory told reporters in April. “This is the biggest sporting event in the world and I think for us to be a part of it I think the vast majority of the people of Toronto will be excited about that and they will see the business sense in it.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Town of Fort Nelson, B.C., ordered to evacuate due to wildfire
The entire town of Fort Nelson, B.C., as well as the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has been ordered to evacuate due to an out-of-control wildfire.
Bouchard lifts Edmonton Oilers to 4-3 overtime win over Canucks in Game 2
Evan Bouchard scored 5:38 into overtime and the Edmonton Oilers bounced back for a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Friday.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.