Toronto Stadium has hosted its final FIFA World Cup 2026 match, bringing the curtain down on a remarkable run of fixtures that included history-making moments, record-breaking attendances, and two of football's most iconic veterans facing off in a knockout round.

Canada's historic home debut

The venue made its World Cup mark on 12 June when Canada's men's national team played their first-ever FIFA World Cup match on home soil. Manager Jesse Marsch's side drew 1-1 with Bosnia and Herzegovina in Group B before a capacity crowd of over 43,000, the overwhelming majority dressed in Canada's iconic red.

"I have to thank the crowd," Marsch said after the match. "The crowd willed us into the game, and as they could feel the energy tilting in the second half, they were more and more on the edge of their seats. The place erupted when we got the goal."

The match was preceded by a spectacular opening ceremony featuring Canadian musical icons Michael Bublé and Alanis Morissette, with the latter leading the crowd in singing the national anthem 'O Canada'. Alessia Cara, Jessie Reyez, and Elyanna also performed, while actor and FIFA World Cup Ambassador Will Arnett addressed the crowd alongside fellow Canadian Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Mike Myers.

Six matches, ten nations

Toronto Stadium ultimately hosted five group stage matches and one Round of 32 clash, welcoming ten different teams representing four confederations. Toronto's large Ghanaian diaspora turned out in full colour for Ghana's Group L encounter with Panama, and the Black Stars delivered a late winner to claim all three points.

Germany's Group E contest with Côte d'Ivoire drew a sizeable German community from around Lake Ontario, swelled by NHL star Leon Draisaitl and actress Stephanie Beatriz. The 2014 world champions rescued the win through substitute Deniz Undav, who came off the bench to score twice in a 2-1 comeback.

Panama returned to Toronto for a Round of 32 preview only to lose again — 1-0 to Croatia — the match during which the tournament's total attendance surpassed three million. FIFA President Gianni Infantino attended alongside Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and Canada's Minister of Finance François-Philippe Champagne to mark Luka Modrić's 200th international appearance.

Ronaldo and Modrić make history together

Senegal's commanding 5-0 defeat of Iraq set the stage for the Round of 32 tie between Croatia and Portugal, which drew Modrić back to Toronto. In that match, Cristiano Ronaldo — aged 41 years and 147 days — became the oldest outfield player ever to feature in a FIFA World Cup knockout match.

With Modrić also on the pitch, it marked the first occasion in the tournament's history that two outfield players over the age of 40 had faced each other in a knockout stage. Ronaldo scored his 11th FIFA World Cup goal — and his first in a knockout round — as Portugal came from behind to win 2-1, to the delight of a large Portuguese contingent in the stands.

The numbers behind Toronto's tournament

The final crowd of 43,036 took Toronto's total attendance across all six games to 258,088 — surpassing a quarter of a million fans. Those supporters witnessed 15 goals in total, an average of 2.5 per game.

Though Toronto's competitive fixtures are over, the city's Fan Festival — situated in Fort York beneath The Bentway — will remain open until the FIFA World Cup 2026 final on 19 July.