Toronto's brief stint as a FIFA World Cup host city is over, and many residents are asking whether it was worth the extraordinary expense. What began as an estimated cost of $30–$45 million Canadian Dollars has ballooned into a bill that the city's own reports place at roughly $380 million (£201 million) — with a combined federal, provincial, and municipal outlay that critics say surpasses $1 billion Canadian Dollars when all infrastructure and security costs are factored in.

A stadium few could afford

Toronto Stadium, which held the smallest crowd capacity of any venue in the tournament, drew criticism for its reliance on approximately 17,000 temporary seats. Many fans dubbed it the worst host ground of the entire competition. Adding insult to injury, ticket prices reached record highs, effectively locking out ordinary Torontonians from the experience. Even the final group fixture — a blockbuster meeting between Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal and Luka Modrić's Croatia — saw resale prices starting at around $2,550 (£1,350).

A disconnected spectacle

Urban studies professor David Roberts, who has researched the tournament's effect on host cities since 2009, told FourFourTwo that the event felt removed from everyday life in Toronto.