City Reselling World Cup Tickets to Avoid Property Tax Hike

Toronto is defending its decision to resell World Cup tickets at profit—a move the city says helps avoid dipping into property taxes for a tournament that has spiralled far beyond budget.

Mayor Olivia Chow's office confirmed Monday that the city is selling its share of ticket packages purchased from FIFA. Spokesperson Shirven Rezvany said it was "one of several avenues pursued by the City to avoid spending property tax dollars." FIFA gave host cities the opportunity to buy ticket packages—bundling game tickets with hospitality suite access and other amenities—and resell them for revenue. The city bought nearly $11 million worth.

Some councillors, including mayoral candidate Brad Bradford, have criticized the move as scalping. But Vancouver, Canada's other host city, confirmed it's doing the same thing. "The great majority of the tickets held by the City are being sold via the FWC26 Sponsorship Program, in order to raise net revenues to offset the cost of event hosting," Vancouver's World Cup committee said.

Toronto's projected FIFA costs have ballooned from the initial $30–45 million estimate to $380 million, according to a 2025 auditor general report. The city needs the revenue.

It's a sharp reminder that hosting the World Cup isn't a financial slam dunk for the city—and that taxpayers are footing the difference.