The 2026 World Cup brought an unprecedented wave of soccer enthusiasm to Toronto, and the city’s public transit system felt the impact in a big way. According to preliminary data released by the Toronto Transit Commission, ridership on routes connecting to BMO Field and Exhibition Place soared by an impressive 42 percent compared to the same period last year.
The surge in passengers was most evident during Canada’s opening match against Bosnia on June 12, which proved to be the busiest day of the tournament. On that single day, an astonishing 202,700 riders used transit along the corridors serving the venue — that’s 65,200 more passengers than the same routes carried in 2025.
Bus and streetcar lines along King Street, Dufferin, Bathurst, Ossington, and Harbourfront were the main arteries transporting tens of thousands of enthusiastic fans to the six World Cup matches hosted in the city. Over the course of all six matchdays, Toronto recorded a total of 1.14 million rides on these routes, a significant jump from the 802,000 rides logged during the previous year.
The TTC shared the encouraging statistics on social media, promising that more detailed data will be released once the tournament concludes. Transit officials emphasized their commitment to maintaining safe and reliable service for all passengers throughout this historic sporting event, demonstrating Toronto’s capacity to handle major international gatherings.
