What to know
- Moneris says spending at Toronto bars and restaurants rose 3% during the FIFA World Cup compared with the same period last year.
- Spending on foreign-issued credit and debit cards increased 34%, suggesting tourists spent significantly more than in 2025.
- The overall increase fell well below the boosts seen during events such as Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.
- Industry experts say packed venues don’t always translate into significantly higher spending.
Toronto’s bars were packed, patios were full and FIFA Fan Festival drew massive crowds—but new data suggests that didn’t translate into the spending surge many businesses were hoping for.
Despite high hopes from the hospitality sector, the increase was far smaller than the surge many had anticipated for a global sporting event.
According to data from payment processing company Moneris, between June 12 and 26, total spending at Toronto bars and restaurants was just up three per cent from last year, between June 13 and 17.
International visitors spent more
One bright spot came from visitors travelling to Toronto for the tournament.
Moneris found spending on foreign-issued credit and debit cards increased 34 per cent year over year, indicating international fans were spending considerably more than they did during the same period in 2025.
Still, that increase wasn’t enough to produce a major jump in overall restaurant and bar sales.
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Why wasn’t the increase bigger?
Speaking to the Toronto Star, Moneris vice-president of business development and data services Mike Doktorczyk said the tournament simply didn’t generate the same spending patterns as other marquee events.
“During the Eras Tour, we saw 90 per cent increases on apparel, and big rises at bars and restaurants,” he said.
“Taylor Swift is a phenomenon. Panama vs. Ghana is not a phenomenon.”
The comparison highlights how large sporting tournaments can spread spending across multiple venues and fan events, rather than concentrating it around a single headline attraction.
Toronto still embraced the tournament
Although the spending increase was relatively modest, Toronto became one of the busiest host cities during Canada’s portion of the FIFA World Cup.
Thousands of supporters packed FIFA Fan Festival at Fort York, lined the streets for fan marches and filled sports bars and patios throughout the city during Canada’s historic run to the Round of 16, as well as Portugal’s sold-out clash with Croatia featuring Cristiano Ronaldo.
While those scenes created a vibrant atmosphere across the city, the latest figures suggest the economic boost for hospitality businesses was smaller than many had anticipated.
