A new poll finds many people in Toronto and Vancouver don’t think hosting the World Cup matches are worth the public costs.
The survey from Angus Reid Institute found 70 per cent of those polled in the GTA and 72 per cent in Metro Vancouver say the public costs of reportedly $1 billion apiece in funding are ‘not worth the trade-offs.’
Results from an Angus Reid poll conducted May 7-11, 2026.
The World Cup kicks off on June 11 and runs through to July 19. Canada will host 13 matches, in Toronto and Vancouver.
“At issue for city residents: disruption, street closures, and security perimeters; lopsided accrual of revenue to FIFA, soccer’s global governing body; and a rearrangement of their city’s summer cultural and event calendar that many view as an ‘unacceptable’ requirement of hosting,” the poll states.
Around 80 per cent in both cities believe the event will most likely benefit FIFA, sponsors and big business.
Moreover, when the final bill comes in, only a third in each city think their municipal government will be fully transparent about the total cost of hosting.
Overall, 47 per cent of those polled in the GTA and 51 per cent surveyed in Metro Vancouver say hosting the World Cup is a “poor investment” for their respective city, with 20 per cent in the GTA and 21 per cent in Metro Vancouver saying it is a “good one.”
In terms of the excitement that’s been building around hosting the World Cup in the two Canadian cities, not everyone is enthused about it.
In both Vancouver and Toronto, the percentage of people who are “disinterested” in watching the matches in any way is 51 and 59, respectively.
The Angus Reid Institute conducted the online poll May 7- 11, 2026, surveying a randomized sample of 1,803 Canadian adults, with a margin of error of plus or minus two percentage points, 19 times out of 20. Read the full results below:
Add CityNews Toronto as a trusted source on Google to see more local stories from us.
