A new poll conducted by the Angus Reid Institute has found that a majority of Canadians believe it's not worth hosting FIFA World Cup matches if revenue doesn't exceed costs.Vancouver and Toronto are set to welcome teams and fans from around the globe for a number of games next summer.According to the poll, 71% of the 2,031 Canadians surveyed said it was only worth hosting if costs "are about the same as revenues" or "if the cities make money." Those numbers were slightly lower in Metro Vancouver, 64%, and the Greater Toronto Area, 69%. On the extremes, 20% said the games shouldn't be played in Canada at all — regardless of the financial impact — and 9% argued it was worth it "even if costs are far higher than the revenues."Football fans were far more likely than their uninterested counterparts to see the World Cup coming to North America as a "worthwhile investment," at 66% and 32%, respectively. Only two-in-five respondents said they plan on following the competition to some degree.That being said, 71% said tickets were "way too expensive" for them to attend..When asked whether international sporting events were "not a worthwhile investment for the host country," 54% said as much about the World Cup, while only 44% and 48% echoed those sentiments for the Winter and Summer Olympics, respectively.According to the BC government, the cost of hosting seven matches in Vancouver will be between $538 and $624 million. When Canada was announced as a host country back in 2022, that estimate was closer to $240 million. The government has predicted taxpayers will be on the hook for a net cost of $145 million..BINDA: British Columbians are not sold on hosting pricey World Cup matches.The decision was slammed by Canadian Taxpayers Federation BC Director Carson Binda, who argued that hosting a football tournament should not be a financial priority at a time when British Columbians are suffering."Eby and Sim need to do the right thing and cancel Vancouver's participation in the World Cup," he said, referring to the mayor and the premier. "BC can't afford it and the taxpayers being left with the bill aren't interested."
