Toronto's 2026 World Cup experience reminded me our city is meant for greatness

Ahead of the World Cup, the prospect of Toronto hosting the tournament seemed unrealistic to a local who grew up in the city, expecting traffic disruptions to be the main story. After six matches over three weeks, the writer said the event reshaped the atmosphere in multiple ways, including the arrival of major stars such as Luka Modrić and Cristiano Ronaldo. The article describes how fans from around the world marched toward the stadium, leveraging Toronto’s downtown waterfront for highly visible support for national teams. It also notes concerns beforehand that the venue would be inadequate, but after additional stands were installed, the stadium capacity reached 43,036. The writer characterizes the venue as intimate, comparing it to an old-school English ground due to the close rectangular design. The piece highlights Toronto’s opening match involving Canada against Bosnia and Herzegovina, where Cyle Larin’s late equalizer delivered Canada its first-ever World Cup point.