The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) has launched a scathing attack on the allocation of taxpayer funds for hosting the 2026 World Cup soccer matches, urging politicians to cease what they label as wasteful spending. The latest outcry follows the federal government's announcement Friday of an additional $104 million earmarked for the Toronto matches.CTF Ontario Director Jay Goldberg minced no words in his criticism, denouncing the move as unjust to taxpayers nationwide. "Wasting more money on the World Cup boondoggle is unfair to taxpayers from coast to coast, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shouldn't be putting a dime into the project," Goldberg asserted.Initially, Toronto city hall proposed a budget of $80 million to accommodate six World Cup matches. However, taxpayers were confronted with staggering revelations earlier this year when costs soared to an astronomical $380 million.Goldberg highlighted FIFA's role in exacerbating the financial burden on taxpayers, noting that the organization has more than quadrupled the initial bill. "The federal government shouldn't be pouring more taxpayers' money into this boondoggle," he emphasized, expressing concerns over the potential for costs to spiral further out of control.While the Ford government has committed $97 million towards covering Toronto's share of the FIFA games, it has firmly rejected the notion of augmenting this funding any further.In a separate announcement, the federal government disclosed its intention to shoulder $116 million of the expenses associated with Vancouver hosting seven FIFA games.
