Toronto's BMO Field transforms back to soccer stadium as World Cup wrapping begins
The temporary 43,000-seat stadium built for six FIFA matches is being dismantled ahead of the August return of Toronto FC and the Argonauts.
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Toronto's temporary World Cup stadium is being taken apart. Within hours of Portugal's 2-1 victory over Croatia on Thursday, July 2, the local organizing committee began removing FIFA signage and the branded wrapping that covered the venue.
The City of Toronto had added 15,000 temporary seats to BMO Field to meet FIFA's minimum 40,000-seat capacity requirement for host cities. Over the next two weeks, those additions will be disassembled, and the field will return to its regular capacity of 28,180.
Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE), which operates the stadium, is already planning permanent upgrades now that the tournament has ended. The six BMO Field signs that were removed for the World Cup will be replaced with illuminated, overhanging signs, and an additional electronic display will be installed along the upper roof edge above the north scoreboard.
The local organizing committee will hand over the stadium to MLSE on July 22. By August, both the Toronto Argonauts and Toronto FC will return home to their renovated venue.
