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News of the funding comes six years after city council first asked Ontario to helpÌýpick up the costs of the wildly popular international soccer tournament, and just days before FIFA is expected to announce details of the competition schedule Sunday afternoon.ÌýThe games are being co-hosted by Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.Ìý Ìý Ìý

Although critics have questioned the wisdom of governments spending a projected $300 million on the event while º£½ÇÉçÇø¹ÙÍøis facing a financial crisis, Mayor Olivia Chow said Thursday she was excited to host the competition. She welcomed the provincial funding.Ìý

“I’m very pleased,” Chow said at a press conference to unveil her 2024 budget. “We signed the bid,Ìýand we’ve been waiting for the provincial and the federal government to step up. AndÌýthe province has and I believe the federal government will soon also.”

The city would pay some of the costs but has asked the federal and provincial governments to split $184 million. According to the letter, Ontario’s funding is contingent on Ottawa putting up a matching contribution.Ìý

While the mayor said she expected the federal government to come to the table, it has yet to make a formal commitment. A federal spokesperson didn’t respond to the Star’s request for comment by publication time.

The province is also stipulating that money it provides be “exclusively limited to investments that will build lasting public infrastructure and benefits that will serve the community long after the games are over.”

The money is not to go toward any costs “where the primary beneficiary is a private, for-profit, or otherwise nonpublic entity.” Some of the funding could be provided in the form of in-kind services like policing, transportation and health care.Ìý

The deputy minister wrote that while the province is willing to help the cash-strapped municipality with its hosting obligations, it is asking the city to limit public spending on the event “to the greatest extent possible.”Ìý

The letter doesn’t specify which private entities Ford’s government is concerned about benefiting from government funding.

º£½ÇÉçÇø¹ÙÍøhas faced criticism for a hosting deal it reached with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, under which the company won’t be on the hook for any costs associated with the games but will be entitled to revenues. Taxpayers will also pay for upgrades to municipally-owned BMO Field, where MLSE’s CFL and MLS franchises play.Ìý Ìý

The city’s hosting contracts with FIFA have not been made public.Ìý

City council voted to join the bid for the World Cup in 2018, on the condition that º£½ÇÉçÇø¹ÙÍøconfirm financial support from other levels of government. Despite not executing those funding agreements, staff signed bid agreements later that year. º£½ÇÉçÇø¹ÙÍøwas officially named a host city in 2022.ÌýÌý

Staff’s $300 million estimation of the tournament costs is based on º£½ÇÉçÇø¹ÙÍøstaging five games. The price tag could change depending on how many games º£½ÇÉçÇø¹ÙÍøis allotted. Initially it was supposed to split 10 games with Canada’s other host city, Vancouver. But FIFA has since expanded the event from 80 to 104 games.

with files from David Rider