Sports and the City
Sports and the City

An Illustrated Guide to the FIFA World Cup in Toronto

June 10, 2026

Data Illustration
by Michael DeForge with text by Wency Leung

How many private jets could this pay for? Seven illustrations to make sense of the costs and payoffs of hosting the World Cup.

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Sources

About the artist, Michael DeForge

Michael DeForge works as a cartoonist in Toronto, Ontario. His upcoming short story collection All The Cameras In My Room will be published by Drawn & Quarterly in 2026.

About the author, Wency Leung

Wency Leung is a senior reporter for The Local. She was previously a health reporter for The Globe and Mail. You can reach her by email at wency@thelocal.to or on Bluesky @wencyleung.bsky.social.

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How we play sports is tied to policy and politics, culture and business. As the larger-than-life FIFA World Cup kicks off in Toronto, we look at sports from the ground, from minor-league baseball to cricket in Brampton to wheelchair rugby and a new wave of women's coaching.

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