A majority of Ontario residents think hosting the FIFA World Cup in 2026 is not worth the cost, according to new polling from Léger, commissioned by the CTF. 

“Ontario taxpayers understand that paying $380 million to host a few international soccer games is not worth the cost,” said Carson Binda, B.C. Director for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. “Normal families are struggling to make ends meet, while Premier Doug Ford and Mayor Olivia Chow plan to waste hundreds-of-millions hosting six international soccer games.” 

According to the poll, the majority oppose the FIFA spending:

• 50 per cent think the games are not worth the cost
• 39 per cent think the games are worth the cost
• 10 per cent are undecided

The government projects that hosting six FIFA World Cup games in 2026 could cost taxpayers up to $380 million.  

The Ontario government is increasing the provincial debt to $461 billion this year. That works out to more than $28,000 per Ontarian. Interest on that debt will cost taxpayers about $1,000 each. 

“Instead of wasting more than a third of a billion dollars on a handful of soccer games, the province and city need to be focused on saving taxpayers money,” Binda said. “Chow and Ford need to take taxpayers off the hook for these soccer games.” 

Expert analysis shows spending taxpayers’ money on this kind of event is a losing proposition.

“Hosting the FIFA World Cup is overall ineffective in tourism promotion,” according to a 2019 paper from the University of Hamburg published in the academic Journal of Tourism Economics. 

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