“FIFA Has Been a Disaster for Our Industry So Far,” says a Toronto Hotel Executive.

Gregory Thimbles has been in the Toronto hotel business for as long as he can remember. “I started as a pool cleaner at a city motel when I was 19.” Over the past 20+ years, he has worked with some of the city’s most popular hospitality brands. “I have witnessed major cultural, social, and sporting events being hosted in Toronto throughout my career, but I have never seen the kind of dashed hopes we are experiencing during this FIFA World Cup event. Forget my own establishment; my colleagues at other hotels tell me they are struggling even more. I wonder why the government has not released the deplorably low reservation numbers. Why are they hiding it?” Greg asks.

And he has a point. While Toronto’s hospitality industry was preparing for a surge in hotel bookings ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, expectations have plummeted just three weeks before the first match. This decline follows FIFA’s cancellation of thousands of hotel reservations across North America in March.

Sara Anghel, president and CEO of the Greater Toronto Hotel Association, confirmed to a popular local media outlet that these cancellations have left hoteliers facing significant losses instead of gains. Although no official figures for Toronto have been made public, cancellations in Vancouver amounted to 15,000 nightly bookings, a number considered low by industry observers.

This situation presents a significant problem. Why? Because the decrease in demand undermines the expected economic benefits of hosting the World Cup.

Organizers previously estimated that the festivities would generate $940 million in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) and that this revenue would cover the costs of hosting the games.

However, with news of canceled hotel reservations, which have a cascading negative effect on revenue across the economy, there is little hope the city will come out unscathed from this massive spending. 

FIFA, it seems, is largely unconcerned. Just as we at GTA Muslims Today were finalizing this article, we learned that FIFA has released its parking prices, and there are no discounts available.

Fans needing accessible parking at Toronto Stadium (BMO Field) will have to pay $74.99. In contrast, the game-day rate during Toronto FC games is $30, while Toronto Argonauts games charge $25, with the standard parking fee set at $15.

Additionally, FIFA has specified that all parking passes must be purchased in advance on their website, and a valid match ticket is required to complete the purchase.

So, how much is Canada losing on this event?

A report from the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) estimated the total government investment to co-host the event at around $1.066 billion. This includes $473 million in federal support, with the remaining $593 million funded by various provincial and local governments. This breaks down to about $82 million per event out of the 13 scheduled for Canada.

Provincial Breakdown: 

–            Toronto’s planned expenditure is $380 million: $149 million from the federal government and $230 million from the provincial government.

–            Vancouver’s budgeted expenditure stands at $578 million ($215.7 million from the federal government and $362.3 million from the provincial government).

–            It is important to note that critics are questioning these figures and believe the actual costs will far exceed the quoted amounts.

Pushback:

These massive expenses have reignited criticism from taxpayer advocacy groups, who argue that the tournament offers poor value for Canadians, especially amid economic uncertainty and rising living costs. They are questioning whether public funds should be spent on an international sporting event while issues such as housing affordability, healthcare access, and infrastructure concerns continue to affect Canadians.

Online discussions surrounding this report reflect growing frustration regarding the scale of government spending. Some commenters argue that FIFA benefits disproportionately from tournament revenues, while host cities and taxpayers are left to cover security, logistics, and infrastructure costs that often exceed initial projections.

To illustrate: FIFA expects the 2026 tournament to generate record-breaking revenues of approximately $13 billion globally through broadcasting rights, sponsorships, ticket sales, and hospitality packages.

Critics have pointed out that while FIFA receives the majority of tournament-related revenues, host governments are responsible for much of the logistical and security spending associated with the event.

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