The report describes Toronto as a city of roughly three million people, with residents connected to 188 countries and more than half of the population born outside Canada. That profile gives the World Cup an unusually broad local audience.
The proposed guide reportedly maps supporters linked to 48 countries, from Mexico and Canada to Brazil, Morocco, Japan, Portugal, Argentina and England. The numbers matter because they point to a tournament experience that will not belong to one national community. It will be spread across many overlapping ones.
The fan experience is expected to be shaped by food as much as fixtures. The report mentions Moroccan doughnuts, Scottish pie, bratwurst, cassava couscous, coffee, tea and fresh herbs among the traditions likely to appear around local watch parties.
That variety gives the guide its strongest angle. Football becomes a route into personal history: childhood matches, family loyalties, adopted national teams and memories passed between generations. Icons including Pelé, Diego Maradona and Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly feature in those recollections, linking Toronto’s local celebrations to the wider mythology of the sport.
The report also acknowledges the practical strain. Queues, traffic and disruption are expected to test the city as it adjusts to a tournament followed by billions of fans worldwide.
That honesty is important. A successful World Cup atmosphere will depend not only on packed venues, but on transport, public spaces and the willingness of communities to share them.
As 2026 approaches, Toronto’s defining challenge will be turning diversity into a workable fan experience. The next storyline will be whether the city’s neighbourhood-led welcome can match the scale of the tournament itself.