The 2026 World Cup will feature more than a dozen matches played in Canada this summer, and a new analysis estimates each game will cost $82 million of government funding.
The parliamentary budget officer (PBO) released its analysis Wednesday of federal commitments and costs associated with co-hosting the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup, and how much taxpayers will be on the hook for.
It estimates a total cost of $1.1 billion, of which $473 million will come from the federal government, and the remaining $593 million will come from other levels of government.
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The PBO report says this means each of the 13 total games played on Canadian soil will cost about $82 million. It adds that this figure is consistent with past public spending to host World Cup events.
The PBO report says Canada is spending less than some of the most recent World Cup events.
For example, in U.S. dollars, Canada spending $59.6 million per game (approximately C$82 million as of publication) is less than the $90.9 million that Brazil spent per game in 2014, and the $79.6 million Russia spent in 2018. The PBO did not provide figures from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar for comparison.
World Cup soccer games are some of the most costly sporting events. In fact, the cost of one game is comparable to the entire upper limit salary cap for an NHL team of $95.5 million in the 2025-26 season.
The PBO says some of the biggest expenditures include hosting costs in Toronto and Vancouver, specifically operations and infrastructure like stadium upgrades, in addition to public safety funding like security at events directly, bolstering border services, and providing additional RCMP units for security. This also includes $126 million in federal funding specifically for BMO Field, FIFA training sites and BC Place Vancouver via the Canadian Heritage Department.
For some asholes to kick a ball on a field, More fun to watch paint dry
Soccer = being a Third World country Sport = ( we should be playing ___ GOLF ___ in North America .
I admire the way __ James S __ plays soccer . . .
Those soccer fans will spend their money on food, drinks, hotels in Canada. So Canada earns too.
Only boring, cultureless Canadians would complain about hosting the greatest sport tournament of the greatest sport on the planet.
Who is watching Nfl or Baseball ? Such a boring games. Soccer/Football everybody is watching. But I’ll watch on TV.
Football or your soccer is 100 times more popular than hockey pockey or rugby.
Starving people, folks losing homes, dying in hospital ERs waiting for treatment that is becoming harder and harder to access due to the sheer numbers now.
Food crisis, energy crisis, homeless crisis, economic crisis, drug crisis, healthcare crisis but FIFA goes on at a cost to EVERYONE for a few to watch some boring ass game of idiots running up and down a big field not scoring. Billions for the gladiators to bore the people to sleep. And as always there will be the hooligans getting drunk and causing widespread problems. But heck, we better clear the homeless cause THEY are the problem! F*CK YOU FIFA!!
At $1000-$13000 per ticket, anyone who can afford to watch these games should be required to donate an equal amount to help the homeless and hungry.
Again the government shows it can’t manage money. Why would a company that’s billions in debt heading for bankruptcy do something that loses millions more. These games take money from the poor and middle class working people for zero benifits. Pathetic.
I work full time, rely on food banks and am paying HOW MUCH for a soccer game???
We have a MASSIVE PARASITE INFESTATION and so long as the rich are tolerated NOTHING will ever work properly EVER AGAIN!!!
NO CONFIDENCE
we need an extermination
starting with the crooked federal libs.
Kerry you are totally delusional if you think Global are right wing there so far left they can’t balance but
” Elbows up anyway sucker”
Shameful waste of taxpayer money. We need the necessities of life than we need this!
I remember when John Horgan said that he didn’t want to give FIFA a blank cheque. And all of the right wingers including Global BC had a hissy fit. Because he didn’t support the wasting of taxpayers money. Global BC you just lost a 53 year viewer because you are way too far right-wing.
It estimates a total cost of $1.1 billion. I guess we should be happy it is such a low amount considering the tens of billions of dollars spent on Ukraine, EV battery plants, Phoenix Pay System, etc etc etc
They are shipping all the homeless people out of Vancouver like they did for the Olympics? Instead of spending money on actually dealing with this issue. Adding unnecessary stress to other communities to present a cleaner image of situation that isn’t going away.
Tax payer dollars are better spent on helping those in need.
What a waste. Canada is spending less, liberals media is so funny, its a liberal estimation so cost will triple so the politicians can line their pockets and get free tickets free food,drink and travel.
How much carbon will this release?
No data again.
Soccer is garbage. Prefer NFL /MLB exhibition games in Canada that would bring a more general interest.
Thats a lot of money that could have gone into building homes. But I guess at least we arent shipping it overseas, so.. progress?
Librials found another way to hide money again .washing bricks of money though Ukraine only works once a week
I didn’t even know what sport this was until recently, I am not impressed with the fact we taxpayers are skipping certain favorite foods, less going out to dine, travel reduced, so we can support this? Really? I’m not behind this was of spending taxpayer dollars.
As a taxpayer I strongly resent paying for something that is of no value to we average Canadians, on top of it all I detest soccer and it’s boring game. Someone is really screwing with the cup because there is enough money from game revenue to pay for it all. 🤬😡
BOYCOTT IT AND BURN THE VENUES DOWN! Ive had it with paying for these rich mans P*G parties! F*CK FIFA!!!
LOSE, LOSE, LOSE, SITUATION !!! YOU NEVER WIN WITH THESE EVENTS ! TAXPAYERS as USUAL PICK UP the TAB
This is beyond silly. There are revenues from the broadcasts. There are revenues from ticket sales. That should be enough (except for the infrastructure, which should not be counted as an expense, but an investment into future sporting events).
Visitors will spend money on hotels and restaurants. Taxis and vehicle rentals will be maxed. – why is none of this taken into account in this foolish so-called accounting.
Who is making all this money?
Seems like a lot of money For a game
Really questioning why would wespend this money, not a NEED but a want/nice to have
Absolute waste of money for a totally stupid and useless sport for crybabys 💩🤡🖕
I would assume those that watch soccer would be Lib voters and not from Canada originally. Outside of FIFA soccer fan attendance is low.
A search reveals a $1600 to $13,000 ticket prices then there’s parking. Why would anyone want to support such absurdity and matches that cost $80 million per game?? Everyone should avoid attending.
I live in Saskatoon, how does this wasteful spending even benefit me here? I wish they would bring in NFL /MLB for exhibition instead of soccer which is garbage.
Disgraceful waste of money…all sports, amateur and professional, should be banned…they’re not green…
Nice party for the rich, paid for by the taxpayer, with the income going to Hotels, restaurants, and tour operators, woo hoo!!
Another fail by Trudeau and the Libs that welcomes FIFA with open arms. Trudeau said there was a “business case” unlike exporting Oil and Gas overseas. All of Trudeau’s decisions have been flops especially all the EV projects that have collapsed.
Wasn’t the sales pitch that the World Cup would make Canada richer!? It seems all these ridiculous sports events only benefit the organizers and do nothing for the host countries!!
This is outrageous!! People in this country are struggling with Tariffs and gas prices and now you want taxpayers to pay for Soccer! Maybe only the diehard soccer fans should be paying for this. Thank you
Given the cost for each game and the costs of policing and other security this is starting to look like yet another billion dollar boondoggle from both Federal and Provincial governments to accommodate a competition that is a net loser for overburdened Canadian t
That cost is ridiculous for taxpayers to pay. This competition will only be a money maker for FIFA not for anyone else. I wonder if we will ever get the exact numbers to see how much money will be made or lost. I what soccer all the time but will not watch this farce of a competition. It used to be an achievement to just play in the World Cup but FIFA has opened it up so much that it’s just a money maker for them.
Cocsuckers.We don’t need that sht game here, we have hockey and the TO blusejays
This is a disgusting abuse of taxpayers money. No one asked if we wanted the games. With homelessness on the rise, people struggling to pay for groceries and on and on it goes. Think of where 89 million a day would go towards helping that? We live in the Interior- what will be our benefit? BC is bigger than just the Vancouver area.
That estimate of $82 million doesn’t include security expect it to rise to over $100 million a game and the tax payer will never get to know the real cost.
I am in a city that doesn’t get these games and I should not have to pay for them either thru taxes.
The reason our costs are high as the Liberals have to appease their constituency. Special interest groups, unions where not needed, etc etc. Look in the mirror. No one focuses on the economic and social benefits. That is not sexy enough to sell advertising for Global and other media
Elitists.
Elbows up libatards !
I didn’t ask for these games, I don’r want them, and I don’t want my money wasted on them when there are so many more important things the money should be spent on.
“It estimates a total cost of $1.1 billion” of taxpayer money. Yet many Canadians don’t have safe drinking water or are homeless. Money wasted so people can watch someone kick a ball. ‘Skroo’ FIFA!!
What a colossal waste of money. What benefits do Canadian taxpayers get from these games? Absolutely nothing! That money could be used for so many other things that would actually benefit Canadians like health care, education and cost of living.
Plucking ridiculous waste,how many won’t go home after and claim refugee status
What a waste of money!! People are struggling to have a roof over their heads and food on the table! We need to get our priorties straight and I don’t see playing games as a priority.
a big waste of tax payers $$$$$
1.1 Billion dollars, would hire more nurses or teachers, or help with affordable housing. So many better ways to spend taxpayer dollars.
That’s ok
Canadians like to waste their tax dollars on nonsense
They argue endlessly for the government to do so
Shouldn’t be allowed
Crazy – yet FIFA will make over USA$1 billion…
Great more money going elsewhere at a time we need yo look after our people