TORONTO — The City of Toronto is defending its decision to resell FIFA World Cup tickets purchased through a host-city allocation program, arguing the move is intended to reduce the financial burden of hosting the tournament on local taxpayers.According to Mayor Olivia Chow’s office, FIFA allowed host cities to purchase up to 1.5% of tickets for matches in their jurisdictions for the purpose of raising local revenue through sponsorships, corporate hospitality packages and fundraising initiatives.In a statement, the mayor’s office said Toronto City Council approved a plan in 2025 to acquire tickets and have them sold through a third-party vendor as part of corporate hospitality and donor packages.“All host cities were provided this opportunity by FIFA in order to offset costs,” the statement said, adding that Toronto’s understanding is that many, if not all, host cities have taken advantage of the program.Officials in Vancouver have similarly confirmed that most of the approximately 9,000 tickets acquired by the city will be sold through sponsorship programs designed to generate revenue connected to the tournament..The ticket resale strategy comes as governments face scrutiny over the rising costs associated with hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Toronto’s total hosting budget is estimated at approximately $380 million. The city’s share of those costs is projected to be about $180 million, with the remainder funded through contributions from the provincial and federal governments.The mayor’s office said the city intends to cover its portion of the expenses through a combination of hotel tax revenues accumulated over several years, commercial sponsorships, corporate packages, private fundraising and funding from other levels of government.“Mayor Chow refuses to spend Torontonians’ property tax dollars on the city’s $180 million share of the FIFA budget,” the statement said.The controversy comes amid broader concerns about the affordability of World Cup events for local residents.Some host cities have faced pressure to make tickets more accessible to the public. In New York City, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a lottery program that would allow residents to purchase 1,000 World Cup tickets for US$50 each.Toronto has also faced criticism over fan-related event pricing. Earlier this year, the city reversed a decision to charge $10 admission for its FIFA Fan Festival after public backlash. The festival had originally been promoted as a free event.The debate over ticket sales and tournament costs continues as Toronto prepares to host six FIFA World Cup matches in 2026.
