Toronto clamps down on FIFA World Cup spending over funding fight with Ontario

Toronto will clamp down on FIFA World Cup spending unless it can find savings on its hosting duties or secure more money from other levels of government.

Councillors voted for the measure at a meeting this week as a funding dispute between the city and province spilled out into the open. They say they'll hold off on major procurements or any large contracts that would push the cost over $340 million.

That's in a bid to address a $40-million shortfall the city says has been created because a substantial amount of funding pledged by the province will be used up for various services not all of which the city needs, the mayor says.

"The list that is in there, I don't believe is all completely necessary," Olivia Chow said.

In June 2022, FIFA awarded Toronto the right to host five first round games plus one playoff round match during the 2026 World Cup. The remaining games will be hosted by Vancouver, Mexico and the United States.

Toronto anticipated it would host just five games, estimating a cost of $300 million. It has since climbed to $380 million, about $200 million of which is being provided by the federal and provincial governments. Last year, city staff said that the price shot up because of a variety of factors including inflation, security costs and the city being awarded six games instead of five.

A city report released Tuesday says the provincial contribution would come through a combination of direct funding and services including policing, transportation and health care. But the province has also added in the cost of "beautification" of GO stations and other measures, which have drawn the ire of some city councillors.

The city's early agreement with the province stipulated that Ontario's contributions would take