OTTAWA — Canada will spend just over $1 billion to host the World Cup this summer, the federal budget watchdog said Wednesday.
The total includes money from all levels of government. The federal government's contribution is expected to be $473 million.
Cost Breakdown by City
The $1.066 billion total averages to $82 million per game for the 13 games that will be played in Toronto and Vancouver.
Vancouver will host seven games and Toronto will host six.
"As of April 2026, the most recent municipal and provincial budgets had indicated that, including federal grants, the City of Toronto intended to spend a total of $380 million on its city-level hosting costs while the Province of British Columbia intended to spend a total of $578 million," the parliamentary budget officer said.
Federal Funding
In April, the federal government said it was allocating up to $145 million for security at the World Cup, with the money going toward resources for law enforcement agencies.
Ottawa previously said it would allocate up to $320 million for hosting.
The B.C. hosting cost of $578 million does not appear to be a new estimate — it's the median in a costing range that was issued by the B.C. government last June, of $532 million to $624 million.
Co-Host Tournament
Canada is co-hosting this year's tournament with the United States and Mexico. More than 100 matches are scheduled to take place across all three countries between June 11 and July 19.
Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said at the time that welcoming World Cup crowds will require a massive coordinated effort, and that the international soccer tournament is one of the biggest and most complicated sporting events Canada has ever hosted.
The parliamentary budget officer says the costs are roughly in line with what previous host countries spent.
Public Opinion
In March, a Leger poll suggested 74 per cent of Canadians support Canada hosting World Cup matches. But 65 per cent of those polled said they were concerned about the use of taxpayer funds and government spending.
"Although Canadians support hosting, they are not carefree about it. They continue to voice practical concerns about it. Their biggest concern is public spending," Leger said in an online post.
Half of the respondents said they were concerned about protests or security disruptions.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 20, 2026.