While FIFA rakes in billions of dollars hosting the World Cup, taxpayers are footing the bill for the soccer federation's perks and privileges. Toronto taxpayers are on the hook for at least $380 million to host the World Cup, far exceeding the original $30-45 million price tag touted by Toronto politicians in 2018.
FIFA's Lavish Office Expenses
Toronto politicians and bureaucrats handed FIFA executives a blank cheque to spend taxpayer money. The latest example: FIFA billed taxpayers for $334,803 worth of office expenses in five months, according to freedom-of-information records obtained by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. From December 2023 to April 2024, FIFA billed taxpayers for a variety of expenses, including more than $50,000 a month on leasing an office at the Toronto Carpet Factory, an office building with above-average rent.
Not only did FIFA charge taxpayers a quarter of a million dollars to rent office space for five months, but taxpayers were also put on the hook for decking it out. FIFA billed taxpayers for 28 height-adjustable workstation tables at a price of $41,038, or $1,465 per desk. Additionally, FIFA bought 60 office chairs totaling $33,897, or $565 each. The city of Toronto even billed itself for an $8,937 project management fee, likely for helping FIFA find and move into its office.
FIFA's Billions vs. Taxpayer Burden
Toronto politicians have no business forcing taxpayers to pay for FIFA's office expenses when FIFA has plenty of money. Every four-year World Cup cycle, FIFA brings in eye-watering sums of cash. This year's tournament is set to break records, with FIFA projected to rake in over $18 billion during the 2026 World Cup cycle. With that much money flowing into FIFA's coffers, taxpayers should never be paying for FIFA's office expenses. In fact, Toronto taxpayers shouldn't be giving FIFA a dime.
Better Ways to Spend $380 Million
There are much better ways to spend $380 million than on this year's World Cup games. You could sign up over a million children into house league soccer or fill 15.2 million potholes with that money. But taxpayers are on the hook for ridiculous expenses from FIFA because Toronto politicians signed a bad agreement. Toronto taxpayers were billed $200,000 by the city for a boatload of World Cup-branded condoms and packs of lubricant. And Toronto taxpayers are on the hook for paying for the international elite's special perks, including VIP and VVIP border and customs treatment, police escorts, and private lounges.
Higher Taxes for Torontonians
All this wasteful spending means higher taxes for Torontonians in a city that is already squeezing taxpayers dry. Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow hiked taxes by nearly 20% over the last three years. City council hiked Toronto's hotel tax by 42% last summer, a tax that Sara Anghel, CEO of the Greater Toronto Hotel Association, says places an additional burden on hotel owners. And don't forget about Toronto's skyrocketing building taxes, known as development charges, which politicians have hiked by 1,060% since 2009.
Chow and city council have failed to protect Toronto taxpayers by handing FIFA executives a blank cheque. The next time international sports executives come knocking for millions of taxpayer dollars, Toronto politicians need to remember this World Cup debacle and say no.
