'Cheap flights and a pint': Toronto welcomes World Cup fans despite lower profile matches

TORONTO, June 12 : Tickets remained unsold, an opening night fan festival was rained out and the top-ranking teams are playing in the U.S. and Mexico but visitors arriving in Toronto are determined to enjoy the first-ever World Cup soccer match played in Canada.

They have come to watch the co-hosts kick off their campaign versus Bosnia and Herzegovina in Group B on Friday.

Some travelled simply because Canada is not the U.S., though it is culturally similar. Others are just stopping over for a pint, eyeing Canada's lower drinking age compared to the U.S. 

"We are here in Toronto because of cheap flights, and we cannot drink in America because we are 20-year-olds,"  said Bryden from Scotland.

Bryden and his other six friends, all dressed in the classic Scottish tartan, were roaming around the city's iconic CN Tower in search of a local bar on Thursday.

They planned to get their share of pints before driving down to Boston on Saturday, where Scotland play their first Group C game against Haiti, and the minimum drinking age limit is 21 compared with 19 in Toronto. 

Canada is also home to a large immigrant population from all over the world turning out to watch some of the visiting teams. 

Irfan, 41, a Canadian citizen originally from Bosnia and Herzegovina, travelled with his two children from Ottawa to cheer for his homeland on what he said was going to be a historic day for his country.

The World Cup has faced criticism in Toronto for high ticket prices, congested traffic and a stadium expansion involving temporary seating. 

On Thursday, city officials abruptly shut down a fan fest during the opening Mexico-South Africa match in Mexico City due to storm warnings.

But that did not dampen the mood of fans who dispersed across the