By Yomi Kuku, Toronto, Canada
Fans hoping to attend FIFA World Cup 2026 matches in Toronto could soon face a fairer ticket market after the Ontario government announced tougher measures against illegal ticket resales, including sharply increased fines and public disclosure of offending businesses.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s government revealed that repeat offenders caught violating the province’s ticket resale laws could face penalties of up to $25,000, up from the previous maximum fine of $10,000. The province also plans to publicly identify ticketing companies found selling tickets above the legal limit, a move aimed at increasing accountability ahead of one of the biggest sporting events ever hosted in Canada.
The announcement forms part of Ontario’s broader effort to protect consumers as Toronto prepares to host six FIFA World Cup matches, including Canada’s opening game. Provincial officials say the measures are designed to prevent professional scalpers and resale platforms from exploiting fans through excessive markups.
The crackdown follows major legislative changes enacted through Ontario’s 2026 budget legislation. Under amendments to the province’s Ticket Sales Act, 2017, tickets for concerts, sporting events, cultural events and other live entertainment can no longer be legally resold for more than their original purchase price, including applicable fees and taxes. The changes took effect after the passage of Bill 97, officially known as the Plan to Protect Ontario Act (Budget Measures), 2026.
Ontario’s consumer protection officials have increasingly linked the reforms to the upcoming World Cup, which is expected to attract hundreds of thousands of visitors to Toronto. The government has already shifted additional enforcement personnel toward monitoring resale activity as demand for tickets intensifies.
The legislation has already had a direct impact on FIFA’s ticketing operations. In April, FIFA temporarily removed Toronto World Cup tickets from its official resale marketplace after Ontario’s new law came into force, requiring the governing body to adjust its resale policies to comply with provincial regulations. Reuters reported that Toronto became the only World Cup host city where resale listings were temporarily suspended while FIFA modified its systems.
FIFA subsequently updated its marketplace rules, ensuring that tickets for matches at Toronto Stadium can only be resold at face value, regardless of how much a seller may have paid on the secondary market. The policy differs from many other World Cup host cities, where local laws permit greater flexibility in resale pricing.
Ontario officials have argued that the measures will make major events more accessible to ordinary fans by preventing speculative resellers from driving prices beyond reach. Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement Stephen Crawford previously said the government is acting to ensure supporters are not “exploited by price gouging” and have a fair opportunity to attend live events.
The move represents a significant policy shift for the Ford government. In 2019, Ontario removed an earlier cap on resale prices that had limited markups, arguing at the time that the rule was difficult to enforce. However, surging ticket prices for major concerts and sporting events, combined with the approach of the World Cup, prompted the province to revisit the issue with stricter legislation and stronger enforcement tools.
With the FIFA World Cup set to bring unprecedented demand for tickets, Ontario officials are signaling that enforcement will be a priority and that both individual resellers and ticketing businesses found violating the law could face significant financial and reputational consequences.