Toronto will be the stage for Canada’s World Cup home opener, which may come against Italy, before hosting matches that could feature the likes of England, Germany or Senegal next June.
Toronto is one of two Canadian host cities for the FIFA 2026 World Cup, which will be spread across Canada, the United States and Mexico.
BMO Field at Exhibition Place on Toronto’s waterfront will host five group stage games and a Round of 32 knockout game for a total of six matches, all in the early stages of the competition.
A lengthy draw at Washington D.C.’s Kennedy Centre finally revealed the countries that would be playing in Toronto.
FIFA has announced the full schedule of games, including kick-off times, will be made public during a separate event on Saturday, but already-announced information makes it possible to look at some of the matches.
It has already been confirmed that Canada will play its first game against the second team in Group B on June 12 at BMO Field.
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That game will be against the winner of a European qualifying play-off featuring Italy, Northern Ireland, Wales and Bosnia Herzegovina, in which Italy is favoured to qualify.
Schedules released previously also show which groups will play matches in Toronto. Matches from groups L, E, and I are all scheduled for the Canadian city, along with a knock-out featuring teams from Group L and Group K.
Three games featuring teams from Group L are set to take place in Toronto. That pot is made up of England, Croatia, Ghana and Panama.
A match-up in Group E is scheduled for June, with the possible teams being Germany, Curaçao, Côte d’Ivoire and Ecuador. A Group I match is also on the cards, which involves France, Senegal, Norway and the winners of one of the play-offs.
Finally, the runner-up in Group L will play the runner-up of Group K in a knock-out game on July 2. The teams in Group K are Portugal, Colombia, Uzbekistan and the winner of one of the play-offs.
Toronto will host games on the following days in 2026:
- June 12 – Canada v Italy / Northern Ireland / Wales / Bosnia Herzegovina.
- June 17 – Group L
- June 20 – Group E
- June 23 – Group L
- June 26 – Group I
- July 2 – Group K v Group L runners-up
How much will the World Cup cost Toronto?
The latest cost of World Cup hosting estimates from City of Toronto staff sit at around $380 million, an increase from the initial estimate of around $290 million.
A previous estimate of $300 million was drawn up in 2022 when Toronto was expecting to host a maximum of five games; it will now host six.
City staff had hoped that that cost would be split three ways with the municipal, provincial and federal governments.
The Ontario government also conditionally committed to $97 million in funding, with a series of strings attached. The federal government has indicated it plans to pay up, too.
Toronto has already signed a controversial deal with Maple Leaf Sport and Entertainment (MLSE), the group that owns the Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors and Toronto Football Club.
That deal gives MLSE a leading role in delivering the city’s World Cup vision, indemnifying it from responsibility for cost overruns or construction delays.
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