Item - 2024.EX16.21

The Executive Committee recommends that:

1. City Council authorize the City Manager and the Executive Director, FIFA World Cup Hosting 2026 to enter into agreements with third party corporations, individual donors and other organizations to receive funds in support of the FIFA World Cup 2026 and provide quarterly updates to the FIFA World Cup 2026 Subcommittee, on terms and conditions satisfactory to the City Manager and the Executive Director, FIFA World Cup Hosting 2026, and in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor.

2. City Council authorize the General Manager, Transportation Services, in consultation with the City Manager, the Executive Director, FIFA World Cup Hosting 2026 and the Chief Executive Officer, Toronto Transit Commission, to advance a strategy to accelerate the review and design of the following RapidTO surface transit priority projects, and to bring study findings and recommendations, informed by consultation with local Councillors, adjacent residents and businesses, and the public, to the appropriate Committee and City Council for approval at the appropriate time: 

- Dufferin Street between Eglinton Avenue West and Dufferin Gate Loop; and 

- Bathurst Street between Eglinton Avenue West and Lakeshore Boulevard West.

Toronto's journey to hosting the FIFA World Cup 2026 (FWC26) began in 2018 when FIFA awarded hosting the FWC26 to a joint bid by Canada, Mexico and the United States, with matches to be staged across 16 cities in North America. On June 16, 2022, the City of Toronto was announced as an official Host City for the FWC26. Since that time, planning has actively been underway, preparing and uniting the city for Toronto to be showcased on the world stage.

Toronto will host six matches in the FWC26 kicking off on June 12, 2026 with the first-ever FIFA World Cup™ men’s match on Canadian soil and featuring Canada’s Men’s National Team. The games in Toronto will conclude with a knockout round of 32 match on July 2, 2026.

Hosting the FIFA World Cup is expected to bring significant economic, cultural and community benefits to Toronto that will help to enhance the City’s global profile. The economic impact is projected to aid the City’s long-term recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic particularly benefiting the tourism, hospitality, and entertainment sectors. As with any major event, the City is working with partners to balance costs and benefits while ensuring that any public investment yields significant legacies and community benefits for Torontonians.

This report is a coordinated response to address the multiple directives from City Council in March 2024 (EX12.2), led by the FWC26 Toronto Secretariat, in collaboration with multiple divisions and agencies, including Financial Planning, Transportation Services, Environment and Climate, Solid Waste Management Services, Social Development, Finance and Administration, Purchasing and Materials Management, Economic Development and Culture, People and Equity, Toronto Shelter and Support Services, and Toronto Transit Commission.