Croatia to play at World Cup's 'worst' stadium in Toronto; fans unhappy with stands

Croatia's national football team is set to play at BMO Field in Toronto during the World Cup, a venue that has drawn criticism for its perceived lack of quality and suitability for a major international tournament.

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On the internet, many videos have been published that support the thesis that the stadium in Toronto is not of the quality expected from the biggest football tournament in the world.

The stadium, which will be known as 'Stadion Toronto' during the World Cup, is the smallest on the tournament roster with a capacity of 45,736. While it is Canada's first stadium specifically designed for soccer and is well-connected by transport links, online commentary and fan-shared images highlight concerns. These visuals reportedly show temporary stands that detract from the stadium's exterior appearance and complicate access to entrances on one side of the pitch.

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On the videos published by angry fans, it can be seen that the prefabricated stands have spoiled the exterior appearance of the stadium and made access to the entrances on one side of the pitch more difficult.

Further criticism points to issues such as leaks within the stadium, although it appears these have been addressed before the tournament. A peculiar design element has also been noted: a 'strange arch' on one of the stands obstructs the view for roughly half the spectators in that section. Despite these criticisms, the stadium has undergone upgrades, including the addition of 17,000 temporary seats to accommodate the FIFA games, increasing its capacity from a 30,000-seat MLS venue to accommodate 45,000 fans.

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Toronto built a World Cup stand out of scaffolding. BMO Field added 17,000 temporary seats for 6 FIFA games. The upgrade pushed a 30,000-seat MLS venue toward 45,000 fans. The strangest part is not the size, it is the structure. One side of the stadium is now a steel lattice…