Toronto will find out later today whether its bid to host the 2026 Men’s World Cup is a success.
This afternoon, FIFA will publish the final list of host cities for the 23rd edition of the international football tournament, which will take place from June 8 to July 3, 2026.
Toronto FC is hosting a viewing event today at 5pm at a downtown Toronto bar. Mayor John Tory is expected to attend.
If selected, Toronto will host football matches at BMO Field, which is the smallest venue in any of the proposed host cities. The BMO Field currently has a capacity of 30,000 spectators, but is expected to be expanded and upgraded to accommodate up to 45,000 people in time for the tournament. FIFA demands that the stadiums of the World Cup have a capacity of at least 40,000 people.
Vancouver and Edmonton are also competing to host the 2026 Canadian World Cup, returning to North America for the first time since 1994.
For the first time, a World Cup event is co-organized by three countries: Canada, Mexico and the United States.
The United States will host 60 matches in the 2026 tournament, including the final, while Canada and Mexico will host 10 matches each.
The matches are expected to be played in 16 different cities. So far, 23 have thrown their hats in the ring to host matches during the 2026 World Cup, which for the first time has been expanded to 48 teams, compared to 32.
The Canadian men’s team qualified for the Qatar World Cup in November, securing a place in the men’s world cup for the first time since 1986.
Canadian men currently rank 38th in the world, close to their highest international ranking ever.