Alex Eames speaks with Moshe Lander about whether Canada’s billion-dollar FIFA bill is a smart investment, or if politicans and taxpayers are being sold a bill of goods. Moshe argues that while the World Cup will absolutely be fun and meaningful for fans, the public was sold a dollars-and-cents case that does not really hold up once you factor in temporary jobs, displaced spending, security costs, and FIFA’s ability to push expenses onto host cities.

References

1. Parliamentary Budget Officer, Federal financial support for the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup
   https://www.pbo-dpb.ca/en/publications/NT-2627-007-S--federal-financial-support-2026-fifa-men-world-cup--aide-financiere-federale-coupe-monde-masculine-fifa-2026
2. Moshe Lander, The World Cup Is an Economic Sinkhole, Maclean’s
   https://macleans.ca/economy/the-world-cup-is-an-economic-sinkhole/
3. Government of Canada, Canada welcomes the FIFA World Cup 2026
   https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/soccer-2026.html
4. Toronto FIFA World Cup 26 Match Schedule
   https://torontofwc26.ca/game

Thanks to Our PatronsThanks to our patrons, including Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald.
To support The Curious Task, visit:
https://patreon.com/curioustask