What to know
- Toronto and Vancouver emerged as Canada’s two FIFA World Cup host cities, with both offering FanFests, stadium events, and attractions that turned them into national soccer hubs throughout the tournament.
- A Sports Illustrated ranking placed Vancouver first among all 16 host cities for its infrastructure and stadium capacity, while Toronto finished third thanks to its walkability, tourist appeal, and transit access.
- Vancouver’s BC Place holds more than 48,000 fans compared to Toronto Stadium’s roughly 43,000, with Toronto expanding capacity through temporary grandstands that initially sparked safety concerns among residents.
- Despite some fans praising Vancouver’s stadium, most supporters interviewed at Toronto’s FanFest said Toronto offered the better atmosphere, energy, and overall World Cup experience.
Ahead of a fiery FIFA World Cup season, Canada was chosen to host matches in not one, but two major cities, turning Vancouver and Toronto into the country’s epicentres for all things soccer for about a month. But with activations, festivals, and thousands of tourists, it begs the question – who did it better?
At the beginning of June, the two cities were compared against the other 14 host cities. The list was created by Sports Illustrated, and it based its rankings on venue accessibility, stadium capacity, and aesthetics.
Toronto clinched third place, highlighting the city’s walkability, tourist destinations, and transit access to the stadium, while Vancouver took the first-place crown for their infrastructure and capacity.
Both cities also have their own respective Fan Fests, with Vancouver’s event located at the PNE Grounds at Hastings Park, and screening all tournament matches. Toronto’s Fan Fest at Fort York Historical Site and The Bentway, on the other hand, tends to forego early-day matches, something the venue has been under fire for in the past week.
Vancouver Stadium ranks higher for capacity
When looking at the stadiums holding the matches, Vancouver takes the cake, with a capacity of more than 48,000, while Toronto Stadium can hold just over 43,000.
Toronto’s seats had to be added, doubling the capacity from the BMO Field’s original near-28,000 seats using temporary grandstands.
Before the World Cup’s start in mid-June, Torontonians were worried the grandstand additions wouldn’t hold up.
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Fans share their takes
Since then, many Torontonians have been saying it does the job.
“I think the Toronto Stadium people are over-hating on it. The scaffolding there, they closed it up. It looks great,” one FanFest attendee named Matthew told Now Toronto. “They’re not gonna make people fall. It’s great. It’s not wobbly. I’ve been on it.”
He added that Toronto Stadium was the place to be above Vancouver’s stadium, a sentiment another fan shared.
“We just do it better in general,” Joshua said. “The vibes, the stadium, the fans, everything.”
Another fan at the event said, despite celebrating the World Cup in Toronto, he had been to BC Place in Vancouver before for other football games, and shared that he believed the west-end venue offered a better experience.
“BC Place is probably the better stadium,” he admitted.
Overall, a majority of fans told Now Toronto the east-side city was on top.
“The energy, it’s way better than Vancouver,” one fan said. “Toronto Stadium all the way.”
