Etobicoke's Centennial Park will be replaced by a world-class soccer training facility originally promised as part of Toronto's FIFA World Cup plans, based on a staff proposal to pull funding from the site to offset the growing capital costs of BMO Field. You will get half of that.
“We want to keep the budget on time,” Budget Secretary Shelley Carroll told CTV News Toronto. “And wherever FIFA says, 'This is beyond the regulations, so we can reduce it,' we are doing that.”
The expansive west end park was originally slated to be the site of two practice fields and two fieldhouses for the 2026 tournament, but its design was incorporated into a broader revitalization of the green space.
However, FIFA has lowered the number of training facilities required for Toronto, freeing up funds for cities struggling to cover widespread costs.
A new staff report says capital costs for BMO Field (known as “Toronto Stadium” during tournaments) have exceeded initial estimates, with some of that cost going to Toronto's practice facility and field house. It is said that this can be offset by abolishing the . Centennial Park.
“The city will now have to backfill that funding and deal with the pressures associated with the planned and ongoing construction within the park,” Etobicoke Center councilor Stephen Holliday told CTV Toronto.
Holliday said the World Cup was the impetus to begin work on previously identified capital projects.
“And a lot of that work is built into FIFA's list price,” Holliday said.
The latest price tag puts the cost of the Toronto hosting operation at $380 million. State and federal contributions total about $201 million, but the city will cover the rest.
The City of Toronto has disclosed that it has about $84 million in existing city revenue sources such as title sales and rental fees, and officials say they will increase the city lodging tax by $2.50 over 14 months to generate an additional $57 million. We are proposing to increase the percentage.
Holliday said the cost of modifying the Centennial Park training facility is still being considered.
“FIFA's recent reduction in training venue requirements streamlines efforts and reduces capital costs while providing world-class training facilities,” said Sharon Bollenbach, executive director of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Toronto. and will help reduce operating costs,” he told CTV Toronto. In a statement.
“The entire job of sales for these large international events is to make sure that the event leaves our community better than they expected it to be,” said Coun. Josh Matlow said. “They need to add more services and more infrastructure.”
Toronto touts legacy infrastructure such as sports facilities and housing that outlasted the 2015 Pan American Games, and many city officials hope for similar success at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He emphasizes that.
However, Carroll stressed that there was no room in the budget for extras.
“It's a fund elsewhere and it's a windfall, so we can't focus on the World Cup. We need to deliver a great event and that's the focus,” Carroll said.
The FIFA training facility at Centennial Park is currently in the final stages of design and bidding, with completion expected in March 2026, according to the city.
