Toronto Celebrated One Year to FIFA World Cup 26™ with a Massive Party
Mayor Olivia Chow proclaimed June 12 as Soccer Day in Toronto, so the City hosted a party at Nathan Phillips Square to celebrate the passion and breadth of the local soccer community.
The beautiful game is coming to the beautiful city of Toronto. In less than a year (!), FIFA World Cup 2026™ will host six matches in Toronto in June and July 2026 alongside 15 other cities in Canada, Mexico and the United States. To celebrate the One Year to Go milestone, all 16 cities released videos where local celebrities take the world through their hometowns. In case you missed it, Will Arnett represented Toronto in the best way possible.
On July 12, 2026, Toronto will host Canada’s Opening Match.
In anticipation of this historic moment, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow proclaimed June 12, 2025, the city's first-ever Soccer Day in Toronto. To celebrate, the city threw a massive kick-off party in Nathan Phillips Square on June 12, 2025 and invited Torontonians to wear their favourite Soccer jersey, or red and white for Canada.
The square buzzed with energy as kids played on the pitch and fans watched soccer demonstrations, lined up for swag at the spin-to-win station, met local soccer stars including Toronto FC’s Kosi Thompson and Kobe Franklin, York United players Julian Altobelli and Riley Ferrazzo, and Canadian Soccer Legend Dwayne De Rosario, who was there playing on the pitch with his DeRo Foundation community.
Food trucks and live DJs (DJ Savy, Manalang and DJ Onii-Sama) kept the vibe high, while kids coloured and played in the family zone. The excitement peaked with Mayor Olivia Chow and dignitaries unveiling the official countdown clock, marking one year to kick-off in Toronto.
On stage, Mayor Chow spoke about the Soccer for All Legacy Program, a long-term initiative to build a more inclusive and equitable city through sport. This includes investing in new mini-pitches in equity-deserving neighbourhoods, free programming to develop players, coaches and leaders, and pathways to employment in sport. The initiative also includes revitalizing Centennial Park, creating a welcoming, inclusive space for youth, families, and residents to connect through soccer.