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From renaming BMO Field to Canada’s first home game: Everything you need to know about the 2026 World Cup matches in Toronto

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Toronto is one of 15 cities in North American that is set to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with the Big Smoke hosting a total of six matches. Here is a look at everything you need to know about Toronto’s role in the tournament.

 

What is the schedule?

The tournament kicks off on June 11, 2026, in Mexico City but the first FIFA World Cup match on Canadian soil won’t take place until the following day.

Canada’s first match of the tournament will be held in Toronto on June 12. The remaining matches in Toronto will be played on Wednesday, June 17, Saturday, June 20, Tuesday, June 23, Friday, June 26, and Tuesday, July 2. All other matches in Canada will be held in Vancouver.

“Canada will play all three of their group stage fixtures on home soil, with BC Place Vancouver hosting their second and third group games on Thursday, 18 June and Wednesday, 24 June,” FIFA said on its website.

The final match of the 2026 World Cup is set for July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

 

Where will the games be played in Toronto?

BMO Field will host the Toronto matches, although the venue will be referred to as “Toronto Stadium” for the duration of the tournament. This is “consistent with stadiums in other host cities,” a spokesperson for the City of Toronto said.

     

How much does it cost to host the games in Toronto?     

The estimated cost to host the matches is around $300 million, with the city chipping in about $90 million. Last week, the province came forward with $97 million in funding for the tournament. The federal government has not yet announced any funding support for Toronto.

 

How will the tournament benefit Toronto?

Officials previously said that it is expected to generate about $393 million for the city, create more than 3,600 jobs, and attract more than 300,000 out-of-town visitors.

Speaking at an unrelated news conference on Monday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow weighed in on the excitement the tournament is bringing to the city.

“I’m really pumped up,” Ford said. “I played soccer in my younger days. You wouldn’t know it with this big belly, but I was pretty fast at the time and I coached soccer with my kids, so I’m a soccer fan. But this is great for our community.”

“I’m excited,” Chow said Monday. “We’re showing Toronto, how diverse, how exciting, how vibrant we are.”

 

How can I get tickets to see a match? 

Soccer fans can register on FIFA’s website to receive information about ticket sales and hospitality packages.

 

What other cities are hosting matches?

Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle are the cities slated to host matches in the U.S., while Guadalajara, Mexico City, and Monterrey are the host cities in Mexico.

 

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Cavaliers and free agent forward Isaac Okoro agree to 3-year, $38 million deal, AP source says

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CLEVELAND (AP) — Restricted free agent forward Isaac Okoro has agreed to re-sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers on a three-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Saturday.

Okoro’s new deal is worth $38 million, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the contract has not been signed or announced by the team.

ESPN.com first reported the agreement, citing Okoro’s representation.

The fifth overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft, Okoro is Cleveland’s best perimeter defender, often drawing the assignment of guarding the opponent’s top scorer. Okoro also has worked to improve his offensive game.

The 23-year-old averaged 9.4 points and 3.0 rebounds in 69 games — 42 starts — last season for the Cavs, who beat Orlando in the opening round of the playoffs before losing to eventual champion Boston.

Okoro shot a career-best 39% on 3-pointers, forcing teams to come out and guard him.

His agreement caps an extraordinarily busy summer for the Cavs that began with coach J.B. Bickerstaff being fired and replaced by Kenny Atkinson. All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell signed a three-year, $150 million extension in July, ending months of speculation that he wanted out of Cleveland.

Also, power forward Evan Mobley signed a five-year, $224 deal and center Jarrett Allen signed a three-year, $91 million extension.

___

AP NBA:

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Canada’s Marina Stakusic falls in Guadalajara Open quarterfinals

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GUADALAJARA, Mexico – Canada’s Marina Stakusic fell 6-4, 6-3 to Poland’s Magdalena Frech in the quarterfinals of the Guadalajara Open tennis tournament on Friday.

The 19-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., won 61 per cent of her first-serve points and broke on just one of her six opportunities.

Stakusic had upset top-seeded Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (0) on Thursday night to advance.

In the opening round, Stakusic defeated Slovakia’s Anna Karolína Schmiedlová 6-2, 6-4 on Tuesday.

The fifth-seeded Frech won 62 per cent of her first-serve points and converted on three of her nine break point opportunities.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Kirk’s walk-off single in 11th inning lifts Blue Jays past Cardinals 4-3

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TORONTO – Alejandro Kirk’s long single with the bases loaded provided the Toronto Blue Jays with a walk-off 4-3 win in the 11th inning of their series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday.

With the Cardinals outfield in, Kirk drove a shot off the base of the left-field wall to give the Blue Jays (70-78) their fourth win in 11 outings and halt the Cardinals’ (74-73) two-game win streak before 30,380 at Rogers Centre.

Kirk enjoyed a two-hit, two-RBI outing.

Erik Swanson (2-2) pitched a perfect 11th inning for the win, while Cardinals reliever Ryan Fernandez (1-5) took the loss.

Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman enjoyed a seven-inning, 104-pitch outing. He surrendered his two runs on nine hits and two walks and fanned only two Cardinals.

He gave way to reliever Genesis Cabrera, who gave up a one-out homer to Thomas Saggese, his first in 2024, that tied the game in the eighth.

The Cardinals started swiftly with four straight singles to open the game. But they exited the first inning with only two runs on an RBI single to centre from Nolan Arendao and a fielder’s choice from Saggese.

Gausman required 28 pitches to escape the first inning but settled down to allow his teammates to snatch the lead in the fourth.

He also deftly pitched out of threats from the visitors in the fifth, sixth and seventh thanks to some solid defence, including Will Wagner’s diving stop, which led to a double play to end the fifth inning.

George Springer led off with a walk and stole second base. He advanced to third on Nathan Lukes’s single and scored when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. knocked in his 95th run with a double off the left-field wall.

Lukes scored on a sacrifice fly to left field from Spencer Horwitz. Guerrero touched home on Kirk’s two-out single to right.

In the ninth, Guerrero made a critical diving catch on an Arenado grounder to throw out the Cardinals’ infielder, with reliever Tommy Nance covering first. The defensive gem ended the inning with a runner on second base.

St. Louis starter Erick Fedde faced the minimum night batters in the first three innings thanks to a pair of double plays. He lasted five innings, giving up three runs on six hits and a walk with three strikeouts.

ON DECK

Toronto ace Jose Berrios (15-9) will start the second of the three-game series on Saturday. He has a six-game win streak.

The Cardinals will counter with righty Kyle Gibson (8-6).

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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