Toronto, June 10, 2026 – With FIFA World Cup 2026™ kicking off in Canada this Friday, June 12, small businesses in Toronto and Vancouver are feeling pessimistic about their chances of scoring any new sales from the tournament. Nearly three in four (72%) small businesses expect the tournament to have no impact on revenue, while relatively few anticipate any change (11% decrease, 9% increase).
“Small businesses would have preferred that this World Cup bring a much-needed boost in sales after a prolonged period of poor demand,” said Joseph Falzata, CFIB policy analyst for Ontario. “Unfortunately, the reality is that for many small businesses, this tournament will likely be marked by traffic jams and delayed deliveries, rather than new customers.”
CFIB’s Monthly Business Barometer® shows that insufficient demand has been the top barrier to small business sales for 33 consecutive months, contributing to Canada’s ongoing entrepreneurial drought, where business closures have been outpacing new business creations. With high-profile events often framed as the cure-all to low sales and revenues, CFIB reminds governments that ever-rising costs, economic instability, and other issues have been preventing many small businesses from getting ahead.
“Small businesses want the World Cup to succeed, but one international tournament can’t erase nearly three years of weak consumer demand,” said Kalith Nanayakkara, CFIB senior policy analyst for British Columbia. “Many consumers are already financially stretched, and higher event-related spending on things like tickets can leave less money available for local shops and restaurants. While major events can create short-term opportunities for some businesses, governments need to address the everyday pressures facing small firms, including high taxes and operating costs, and red tape.”
For media enquiries or interviews, please contact:
Dariya Baiguzhiyeva, CFIB
647-464-2814
public.affairs@cfib.ca
About CFIB
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is Canada’s largest association of small- and medium-sized businesses with 103,000 members across every industry and region, including 40,000 in Ontario and 10,000 in British Columbia. CFIB is dedicated to increasing business owners’ chances of success by driving policy change at all levels of government, providing expert advice and tools, and negotiating exclusive savings. Learn more at cfib.ca.
Print Article
Share Article