Updated: 2026-06-19 | Real-time information is subject to official announcements.
The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) has described the transit operation for the city’s first World Cup match as a “success.” That night refers to June 12, when Canada faced Bosnia and Herzegovina at BMO Field—the first official men’s World Cup match ever played on Canadian soil, which finished 1 to 1 (Bosnia and Herzegovina took the lead through Jovo Lukić in the 21st minute, and Canada equalized through Cyle Larin in the 78th minute). For fans it was an unforgettable night; for the TTC, which was responsible for moving the crowds in and out, it was a real, full-on stress test.
In the days after the match, the city and the TTC gradually explained how things had gone. Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow told the media “your city government delivered,” and noted that since the World Cup began, the TTC had already carried “hundreds of thousands of people.” One thing to keep in mind, though, is that TTC spokesperson Stuart Green also acknowledged that an exact ridership-growth figure could not yet be provided, so the various “grew several times over” claims circulating online should be treated as rough reference points and confirmed against the official figures released later. A more concrete number came from Metrolinx: after the Canada–Bosnia match, Exhibition GO station alone saw about 25,000 additional trips.
What Toronto fans should really note is “how to get to BMO Field by transit.” The stadium sits in Exhibition Place, and the most direct way is to take the streetcar to Exhibition Loop—get off and you can see the stadium, without having to walk through a long outer corridor. From Union Station, you can take the 509 Harbourfront or 511 Bathurst streetcar straight to Exhibition Loop; on match days the 504 King, 509 and 511 are all boosted to roughly one car every five minutes, running all day. In addition, the 29/929/829 buses around Dufferin run extra service, going straight from Dufferin station to Dufferin Gate Loop. Subway Line 1 (Yonge-University) and Line 2 (Bloor-Danforth) will also add service to make transfers to streetcars and buses easier—but note that the subway itself does not stop directly at the stadium. If you see claims online about “taking Line 1 and transferring to the 510 Spadina to reach BMO Field,” they are wrong: the 510 Spadina does not run to Exhibition, so don’t be misled.
Drivers are likely in for a rough time these days. On match days Lake Shore Boulevard West, Strachan Avenue, Dufferin Street and Fleet Street will all be closed, and roads inside Exhibition Place will be closed from 1:30 p.m. all the way until midnight, while the areas around Liberty Village and Fort York will also be restricted to local vehicles only. The city’s stance is clear: it wants everyone to take the TTC or GO Transit and leave their cars at home. The station chief’s own advice is the same—head out early on match days, and after the match deliberately avoid the departure peak in the first fifteen to thirty minutes, and your wait time will be much easier.
Toronto still has several more group-stage matches and one knockout match to play at BMO Field, and the TTC says it will keep fine-tuning service frequency and staffing based on the experience from the first match. If you are planning to fly in from Vancouver or another city to watch, be sure to remember that the two systems are different—British Columbia uses TransLink, while Toronto uses the TTC, and the ticketing and riding rules are not the same, so it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the subway and streetcar network a day ahead. Before you set out, you can refer to this site’s Toronto match-day guide and complete Vancouver guide, and if you want to check how to watch each match’s broadcast, you can also look up the Canada viewing and broadcast guide. The exact times for each match, the TTC’s added schedules, fares and the extent of road closures are still subject to the official announcements from the TTC website and FIFA.
Leave a Reply