What to know
- Photos of the newly wrapped temporary bleachers at Toronto Stadium are circulating online, with many fans saying the upgrade makes the structure look safer and more polished.
- The stadium previously faced criticism after 17,000 temporary seats were unveiled earlier this year, though city officials maintained the structures met safety standards.
- Toronto will host six World Cup matches beginning June 12, including Canada’s opening group-stage game against Bosnia–Herzegovina.
Following harsh criticism over the temporary bleachers at Toronto Stadium (formerly known as BMO Field), the seats are finally getting an upgrade, which many say makes the structure look more appealing.
With 15 days left before the World Cup kicks off in Toronto, the city is at the final push to get ready for the tournament.
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Fans react to new seating wraps
As part of the final preparations, the Toronto Stadium, where all six games in the city will be held, is currently getting its latest upgrade: World Cup-branded coverings for its temporary seats.
Although the wrapping is still under installation, photos of the stands with the upgrade are already circulating online, with many fans sharing their opinions about it.
“Great! I didn’t know they were doing that. Stands seem solid enough from the inside, but this should look better and reduce the punters’ concerns about it looking precarious,” one X user wrote.
“This looks so much better. I was wondering why we didn’t invest in something like that,” another person said.
“That makes sense… Optically, [it] looked a bit precarious of a structure beforehand,” a different person wrote.
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Temporary seating previously received criticism
In preparation for the World Cup, the newly-renamed stadium received a series of upgrades, including 17,000 new temporary seats to accommodate FIFA requirements.
But as the seats were unveiled back in March, many Torontonians criticized the new structure, which many said looked unsafe.
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At the time, City of Toronto and stadium staff emphasized that the seats are indeed safe and are adjacent to similar structures seen in past events. They also shared that it was on their plans to cover the seats with branded wrappers.
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World Cup kicking off in 15 days
The World Cup will be kicking off in Toronto on June 12, with a match between Canada and Bosnia–Herzegovina as part of the group stage.
In addition to the national team’s opening game, the Toronto Stadium will also host other five matches, including:
- Ghana vs. Panama on June 17
- Germany vs. Côte D’Ivoire on June 20
- Panama vs. Croatia on June 23
- Senegal vs. winner of FIFA Playoff 2 on June 26
- Group K Runner-Up vs. Group L Runner-Up on July 2
