How FIFA’s contracts with Toronto and Vancouver split the World Cup’s risks and rewards
FIFA's host city agreements for the 2026 World Cup impose significant financial and operational responsibilities on Canadian cities while limiting their oversight. These contracts, often kept confidential, dictate various aspects of the tournament, including security and infrastructure requirements. Critics argue that the lack of transparency may expose cities to financial risks without adequate public debate.
- ▪The contracts impact billions of dollars in public spending, affecting policing, transit, and infrastructure.
- ▪Toronto and Vancouver have faced challenges in releasing their host city agreements due to FIFA's confidentiality demands.
- ▪Experts have raised concerns about the secrecy surrounding these contracts, which limits government visibility into potential risks.
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The contracts impact billions of dollars in public spending, affecting everything from policing and transit to infrastructure and tax exemptions for one of the world’s richest sporting organizations. Yet most cities have gone out of their way to keep them hidden from view.The Host City Agreements generated by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), contracts that all 2026 World Cup host cities have been required to sign, regulate almost every aspect of the marquee soccer tournament being played on Canadian soil for the first time next month.
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