Toronto’s World Cup matches led to an explosion of fans using the GO train, according to new data from Metrolinx, which suggests ridership was significantly higher than even the Blue Jays’ World Series run.
Over the six FIFA match days in the city, an average of 30,000 passengers used either the GO train or UP Express, according to the provincial transit agency.
The agency said it offered roughly 30 per cent more train trips than it would normally in June and July, with ridership 51 per cent higher than it was during the World Series.
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“Teams across Metrolinx contributed to months of dedicated planning to support the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Toronto to keep commuters and soccer fans moving safely and quickly during periods of high demand,” Metrolinx wrote in a statement.
Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria hailed the soccer tournament and its transit plan as a major success.
“Months of planning and teamwork came together to keep soccer fans moving during FIFA World Cup,” he wrote on social media. “A huge thank you to all the staff, volunteers and partners who who helped deliver a safe, seamless and memorable experience for fans!”
The early figures from Metrolinx mirror similar success on the TTC.
The Toronto Transit Service said in a post on social media that ridership on routes to BMO Field and Exhibition Place, where all six matches were played, jumped 42 per cent higher than figures for the year before.
The routes serving the area include buses and streetcars on King, Dufferin, Bathurst, Ossington and Harbourfront.
The busiest day of the World Cup was the opening match between Canada and Bosnia on June 12, when 202,700 people used transit on one of those corridors. That was 65,200 more than reported in 2025.
Across six matchdays, Toronto recorded 1.14 million rides on those corridors — up from 802,000 the year before.
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