Leveraging FIFA in the World's City: Maximizing Its Potential

Research 2 Practice Symposium aims to bring together researchers, sport providers, and youth to collaboratively address shared challenges and foster lasting partnerships. This year, we turn our focus to the upcoming FIFA World Cup and the unique opportunity it presents for community sport leaders in Toronto. While global events like FIFA bring excitement and visibility, they often leave a gap between high-level spectacle and local impact. This symposium will explore how grassroots organizations can leverage FIFA’s presence to drive inclusive participation, secure financial support, and build sustainable sport pathways, especially for equity-deserving communities.

Major events can catalyze change - but only if local organizations are equipped to act. Grassroots sport providers face barriers such as limited funding, lack of access to decision-making spaces, and missed opportunities for collaboration. Through active workshops and dialogue, we’ll explore how to close these gaps and ensure FIFA’s legacy benefits community organizations and youth in Toronto and the GTA.

• Practical strategies to connect your work with FIFA-related opportunities
• Insights from researchers and peers on best practices and emerging models
• A chance to shape the conversation around inclusion, legacy, and community impact
• Networking with stakeholders committed to building a stronger, more equitable sport system

Join us to contribute to this vital dialogue and help shape the future of sport participation in Toronto - before, during, and after the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Info: Doors will open at 9:00 AM, and attendees can come in and grab a light breakfast after registration.

Info: Through mini on-court exercises, we will show grassroots organizations how to leverage FIFA’s arrival in Toronto for program planning and implementation, with a focus on inclusivity, diversity, and accessibility.

Info: This session brings together three researchers to share lessons from previous major sporting events and their social impact. Through engaging in-class workshops, participants will gain insights into what worked, what didn’t, and where gaps exist to equip them to leverage FIFA 2026 more effectively in Toronto and develop ideas for best practices in using major sporting events to create lasting community impact.

Info: This session will be an interactive, collaborative exploration of the legacy participants want FIFA 2026 to leave in Toronto and more broadly in Canadian sport. The goal is to collectively envision a future for soccer and sport that is sustainable, inclusive, and community-driven.

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