Toronto bar owner Thomas Heffernan is eagerly anticipating the FIFA World Cup draw set for Friday at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. As a devoted soccer fan, Heffernan hopes for the weakest possible opponents for Canada, ideally Cabo Verde, an island nation off the West African coast. However, as the owner of Garden Bar in Leslieville, he also wishes for strong teams and exciting matchups, such as Italy, Colombia, and Scotland. Regardless of the outcomes, Heffernan expects a surge in business. "It’s gonna be the busiest six weeks of our entire existence," he said.

Toronto is set to host six World Cup matches in June and July 2026, and preparations are already in full swing. The upcoming draw will determine the first 72 matchups for the tournament, which will feature 48 countries competing across 16 host cities in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. This will mark the first men’s World Cup held on Canadian soil.

The draw will also see at least four countries—Uzbekistan, Jordan, Cabo Verde, and Curaçao—making their World Cup debuts. Local resident Joseph Howarth is on a quest to connect with fans from each of these nations. Howarth began his project during the 2006 World Cup, aiming to photograph fans from participating countries in Toronto. "My goal was to find the fans, capture the diversity of the city and see what it’s all about," he explained. Over the past two decades, he has watched the World Cup with fans from 55 different countries, documenting the city’s multicultural fabric.

As excitement builds, various watch parties are planned across Toronto for the draw, including one at Heffernan's Garden Bar. Meanwhile, preparations for the World Cup are intensifying. Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment is collaborating with the city to renovate BMO Field, with the second phase of construction having begun in November. This phase is expected to be completed in time for test matches and the handover to FIFA in May. The first phase, which included the installation of large video boards, has already been completed.

The city is investing $123 million into the stadium project, which will add approximately 17,000 temporary seats. Additionally, transit plans are being developed to accommodate the influx of fans. The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) has outlined a strategy to transport fans to the stadium and the fan festival at Fort York National Historic Site. Dedicated bus lanes are being established on Bathurst and Dufferin Streets to facilitate movement.

Toronto anticipates welcoming over 300,000 visitors and creating more than 3,500 jobs as a result of the World Cup. For Heffernan, this event represents a "perfect storm"—an international spectacle in one of the world’s most diverse cities. The draw on Friday will serve as a significant milestone in the lead-up to the tournament.