Toronto transit ridership surges after service ramped up for World Cup matches

Toronto's transit system experienced a significant boost in ridership during the 2026 World Cup matches, with early data from the Toronto Transit Service indicating a 42% increase on routes leading to BMO Field and Exhibition Place.

The surge in passengers was driven by the tens of thousands of soccer fans attending the six World Cup games hosted in the city. The busiest day, June 12, saw 202,700 people utilize transit on these specific corridors, a notable jump of 65,200 compared to the same day in 2025.

Over the course of the six matchdays, the transit agency recorded a total of 1.14 million rides on these routes. This figure represents a substantial increase from the 802,000 rides logged in the preceding year. The transit agency shared the promising data on X, formerly Twitter, teasing that more figures would be available once the tournament concludes. They also assured customers that they would continue to provide safe and reliable service across the city.

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Many more data points to come once the tournament wraps up. In the meantime, we will continue to manage and deliver safe, reliable service for our customers across the city.