Potential Canada-Italy World Cup game in Toronto would be ‘electric,’ fans say

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This article was published 06/12/2025 (302 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

TORONTO – The draw for next summer’s World Cup has opened the possibility that Canada will face Italy in its June 12 opener in Toronto, and hopes in the city’s Little Italy neighbourhood are running high. 

The Canadian men’s soccer team drew Switzerland, the fifth-ranked team in Pot 2, and Qatar, the 10th-ranked side in Pot 3. A still-to-be-determined European opponent from Pot 4 could be Italy, which has yet to qualify for the tournament. 

“I literally have butterflies in my stomach,” said Rocco Mastrangelo, co-owner of Cafe Diplomatico, which is known for its pizzas, pastas and soccer watch parties on College Street, in the heart of Little Italy. 

“Right now I’m sure that all the Italians in Toronto have gone to the church and lit a candle and are praying that we qualify,” Mastrangelo said after Friday’s draw.

The 12th-ranked Italians are taking part in a European playoff in March along with No. 32 Wales, No. 69 Northern Ireland and No. 71 Bosnia and Herzegovina. The ultimate winner of that group will play Canada on June 12 at Toronto’s BMO Field.

Mastrangelo said a Canada-Italy matchup would be “electric” for the city and the large Italian Canadian community in the Greater Toronto Area.

“People are just gonna prepare to have viewing parties … barbecues and such, or try to get tickets to BMO Field, which I don’t even know if it’s even possible or what the cost is,” he said, noting that the game would coincide with the start of the popular Taste of Little Italy street festival. 

“Even thinking about the possibility … is just an amazing feeling,” he said.

Jordan Nunes, who works just down the street at Danny’s Pizza Tavern, said he’s “very, very excited” about the prospect of Italy playing against Canada. 

“I’m not Italian, but I think that’d be amazing to see,” he said. “I think every bar will be packed. There’ll be people on the streets. I could see a lot of like pop-up patios, hopefully some big screens.”

While Mastrangelo said he’s “actually very torn” about who he would cheer for in a Canada-Italy matchup, Nunes said he’d be rooting for the home country.  

Nader Ibrahim, a Toronto resident who used to live in Little Italy and was visiting the neighbourhood during the World Cup draw, said the tournament will bring joy to the city regardless of what the matchups end up looking like.

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“I think Canada is designed for this kind of championship,” he said. “A World Cup means (that) in the street you’re going to have all the nationalities. This is already happening in Toronto. And … they’re going to bring more people together.”

Canada is co-hosting the expanded 48-team World Cup with the United States and Mexico. It’s hosting 13 of the tournament’s 104 games, with seven in Vancouver and six in Toronto. 

The full tournament schedule is set to be released Saturday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 6, 2025.

–With files from Neil Davidson