Assyrian4all / chaldean4all
+ Feed+ News
Categories
#Assyrian/Chaldean/syriac▾
AINAassyrianaidassyriatvatourChaldeansyriacpress
#Middle East in Arabic▾
Al Jazeera ArabicBBC ArabicRT Arabic
#Middle East in English▾
Al JazeeraAl-MonitorBBC NewsThe Guardian
#World▾
Al JazeeraBBC NewsCNNDeutsche WelleNew York TimesRTThe GuardianWall Street JournalWashingtonYahoo
#Assyrian Multimedia News▾
AssyriaSuroyos
#World Multimedia News▾
Al Jazeera ArabicAl Jazeera EnglishBBC NewsDW NewsESPNReuters
#sports▾
BBC SportESPNcricinfoSky SportsThe Guardian
#USA▾
bridgemimanisteenewsmetrotimeswxyz
World📡 New York TimesBy Shawna RicherJun 6, 2026👁 1 views

The World Cup Comes to Canada. But Does Anyone Care?

Advertisement

SKIP ADVERTISEMENTYou have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load.

The World Cup Comes to Canada. But Does Anyone Care?

Staggering ticket prices and lackluster matches have left thousands of seats in Toronto and Vancouver unsold just days before the tournament kicks off.

By Shawna Richer

June 6, 2026, 6:00 a.m. ET

It does not feel as if the biggest sporting event on the planet is about to get underway in Canada. Blame staggering ticket prices, FIFA’s tyrannical resale rules and an unglamorous slate of matches in Toronto and Vancouver — Canada’s participation in three notwithstanding.

Thousands of tickets to the opening game in Toronto remain unsold, and not a single match in either city has sold out. This was predictable, given that top-tier tickets for Canada’s opening match against Bosnia and Herzegovina start at $3,000, and those for other matches in both cities start around $600.

Image
BMO Field in Toronto will be known as Toronto Stadium for the World Cup.Credit...Cole Burston/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

When the World Cup was awarded to North America after a joint bid from Canada, Mexico and the United States back in 2018, the countries felt not exactly equal, but certainly unified.

As the sprawling tournament nears — opening in Mexico City on Thursday afternoon, followed by matches in Toronto and Los Angeles on Friday — they no longer feel aligned.

Canada and Mexico have each been at odds with the Trump administration, currently over the free trade agreement between the countries that expires on July 1. Trillions of dollars in trade are in question, and while Mexico and the United States have held discussions, Canada has not yet formally started its trade talks. This week, Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc traveled to Washington to meet with Jamieson Greer, the U.S. trade representative, to discuss how they might proceed.

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber? Log in.

Want all of The Times? Subscribe.

    Advertisement

    SKIP ADVERTISEMENT
    FacebookTwitterLinkedInWhatsAppEmailRead original ↗