TORONTO: Montreal is not hosting matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after ending its participation in the selection process in July 2021, leaving Toronto and Vancouver as Canada’s two host cities for the tournament. Canada Soccer said at the time that Montreal would no longer continue as a candidate city. Subsequent official and public reporting linked the decision to funding concerns in Quebec, while Toronto and Vancouver moved ahead under formal host city agreements tied to FIFA’s tournament requirements.
The 2026 World Cup will be co-hosted by Canada, the United States and Mexico, with Toronto scheduled to stage six matches and Vancouver seven under FIFA’s published match schedule. Toronto signed its host city addendum in June 2022, according to the city’s auditor. Since then, both Canadian host cities have built operational plans around FIFA requirements covering stadium zones, fan areas, transport, commercial protections and event operations, with local governments adopting measures needed to deliver the tournament.
Official city documents show those requirements extend well beyond the field of play. They include protections for FIFA’s intellectual property and commercial partners, rules governing temporary event areas, and restrictions on unauthorized branding, street activity and sales near key sites. In Toronto and Vancouver, those obligations have been translated into municipal planning, bylaw changes and operating frameworks that city officials say are necessary to meet host commitments for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Commercial controls around venues
Toronto’s official tournament materials set out a controlled area around the stadium on each match day and the preceding day, as well as a separate restricted zone around the Fan Festival site. Within those areas, unauthorized sales or promotion of FIFA goods, unlicensed use of FIFA branding, and signage that suggests an affiliation with the tournament are not permitted. The measures are designed to protect official commercial rights and manage operations around Toronto Stadium and related public event spaces.
Vancouver has adopted a similar approach through bylaws and council-approved planning documents tied to the tournament. City materials describe temporary restrictions aimed at preserving a controlled commercial environment and preventing ambush marketing during the World Cup period. The measures include limits on permit-free street performances in parts of the downtown event area and authority to restrict roaming food vendors inside the FIFA World Cup 2026 footprint and related security perimeters unless written permission is granted.
Limited room for local changes
Toronto’s auditor has said the underlying FIFA bid agreements were presented in standard form and were non-negotiable at the bidding stage, limiting the city’s ability to add its own preferred funding conditions to the documents. The same audit said the Host City Agreement itself cannot be altered or amended, although some hosting requirements can later be revised as operational planning develops. One example cited in the report was public transit, where an initial free-transit requirement was later changed so service would be charged at cost.
The documents in both cities show that FIFA’s framework reaches across stadium operations, fan events, transportation and use of public space, creating a tightly defined structure for the Canadian hosts as preparations continue for 2026. Montreal’s exit left Canada with two host cities instead of three, while Toronto and Vancouver accepted the obligations needed to stage matches under FIFA’s terms. Those terms now form the basis for local rules, public planning and tournament delivery in both cities. – By Content Syndication Services.