This is the reason why Montreal isn’t hosting the World Cup: “All of these requirements were totally ridiculous”
Leaked details reveal why Canada’s biggest city pulled out of hosting World Cup matches, with events like F1 and the Jazz Festival caught in the fallout.
Of the 2026 World Cup’s 16 host cities, only two are in Canada (the United States has 11 and Mexico three). As the country’s second-largest municipality by population, you might expect Montreal to be in the mix. But no. Toronto and Vancouver are FIFA’s chosen venues in the Great White North.
Montreal’s early exit from World Cup 2026
Montreal did initially present itself as a potential host city, only to back out in July 2021, citing funding issues.
However, an investigation by Enquête, an investigative program on Radio-Canada, uncovered documents suggesting that was not the real reason.
According to Enquête, the largest city in Quebec opted against hosting games at its Olympic Stadium because of FIFA’s “totally ridiculous” requirements, as Quebec’s former tourism minister Caroline Proulx put it.
Even Toronto city councillor Josh Matlow, in a city that will host six games, has described the World Cup deal as “horrible for our citizens.”
The demands behind Montreal’s withdrawal
But what exactly were those demands, and why were they considered so problematic?
Firstly, no events would have been allowed at the Olympic Stadium between April 25 and July 19, even though the World Cup does not begin until June 11.
Secondly, fields used for the tournament could not be used for “other purposes” from September 2024 until the conclusion of the World Cup in July 2026.
Thirdly, between May 22 and July 17, FIFA would have had access to Montreal’s Parc Jean-Drapeau, which previously hosted Expo 67, as well as the city’s Old Port.
Finally, and perhaps most significantly, “no major sporting events” would have been allowed in the city from the week before the tournament started until the week after it ended.
Knock-on effects for the city
Those demands would have affected a number of major events, including the Canadian Grand Prix in Formula One, held in May, and the Montreal International Jazz Festival, which takes place in late June and early July.
“Their demands just kept adding up,” Proulx said, also calling FIFA “greedy.” “There was no way that I was calling F1 to tell them that FIFA was demanding a blackout.”
The rising cost of hosting World Cup 2026
Enquête has calculated that the 13 World Cup games being played in Canada will cost Canadian taxpayers at least $1 billion. According to Matlow, Toronto will need to spend a minimum of $380 million to host six games, having initially been told the cost would be between $30 million and $45 million.
Similarly, the estimated outlay in Vancouver, where seven games will be played, has ballooned from $240 million to $624 million.
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