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Hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup will cost Canadian governments more than $1 billion, averaging about $82 million per game, according to a new report from the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO).
The total expense to host matches in Vancouver and Toronto is estimated at $1.066 billion. The federal government will cover $473 million of this, with the remainder funded by provincial and municipal governments.
Canada will host 13 of the tournament’s 104 matches, which take place from June 11 to July 19 across Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Vancouver will stage seven games, while Toronto will host six.
Most federal funding is directed towards infrastructure and security. The federal government is transferring $220 million to other government levels for operations and infrastructure, plus $145 million for security operations and an additional $79 million allocated to the RCMP.
The PBO cited a recent City of Toronto report indicating that, including federal support, taxpayers will bear $380 million in costs to host Toronto’s six games. Vancouver’s seven games are expected to cost about $578 million. The PBO also noted that if costs in either city exceed federal grants, the additional expenses will likely be covered by other levels of government.
While the $82 million cost per game is similar to previous tournaments, Canada’s figure is lower than some recent hosts. For example, Russia’s 2018 World Cup cost about $109 million per game to governments; Japan and South Korea spent $112 million per game in 2002; and Brazil’s 2014 tournament cost taxpayers $125 million per game.
By comparison, France’s 1998 World Cup averaged just $22 million per game, and Germany’s 2006 event cost around $50 million per match. The PBO cautioned that these previous estimates often only accounted for organizing and venue costs, representing lower-bound figures.
Ahead of releasing the fall budget, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced plans to separate routine operational spending from capital investments in federal budgets. This reform aims to clarify what borrowing is used for daily government operations versus asset investments.
The PBO estimates that $128.1 million of the federal share could be classified as capital expenditure, though this may not appear as such in official accounts. Approximately $126.1 million of that would fund upgrades to BMO Field in Toronto, B.C. Place in Vancouver, and other FIFA training venues across the country.