Pearson Airport is rolling out the welcome mat for the FIFA World Cup in Toronto, a tournament now just over a week away. Airport officials say they are preparing to greet soccer fans arriving from around the globe while at the same time gearing up for the busy summer travel season, a double demand that has shaped months of planning. Reporting from the airport, CBC's Clara Pesika described an international arrivals hall that already carries an unmistakable footy theme as the competition draws near.
Travelers have begun arriving for a range of reasons, but many said they were hoping to take in the games in some form with family and friends. One described being really excited and hoping Canada could go far, adding that if the host nation were eliminated he would cheer for Brazil instead. Another passenger, arriving from Mexico City, said she would of course be supporting Mexico, while a third named Portugal as his favorite team and admitted he already had a jersey waiting in his car.
A group that had flown in from Brazil that same day said the trip was very exciting, noting that soccer is enormously popular back home and that it was rewarding to see that same energy and culture reflected in Toronto. Several arriving travelers framed the tournament as a welcome distraction, suggesting that with so much going on in the world right now, the World Cup offered a chance to focus on something joyful for a few weeks of the summer.
To match the mood, Pearson has rolled out a green carpet for arriving fans to enjoy, and the airport brought in soccer freestylers to entertain travelers as they came through the doors. The performers even handed the ball to the reporter for an impromptu attempt at balancing it on the back of the neck, a lighthearted moment that underscored the festive tone organizers are hoping to set for visitors landing in the city ahead of the matches.
Beyond the celebrations, airport representatives detailed the operational plans they have spent a long time putting together. The most significant change, they said, is additional staffing across the terminals to handle heavier passenger loads, paired with closer coordination with the airlines so the airport knows exactly when the peak arrival and departure moments are likely to fall during the tournament.
Officials also described a dedicated games operation center that will be launched for the event. The center is designed to monitor operations across the airport in real time, as well as situations unfolding in the city itself, allowing staff to respond quickly and adjust how the airport runs as conditions shift during the busiest match days. The goal, they said, is to react as fast as possible when problems arise.
With thousands of travelers expected to pass through every day, officials offered some practical advice for anyone hoping to move through the process more quickly, recommending the use of the Advance Declaration app to speed up the arrivals experience. For many of the fans already touching down in Toronto, the focus remained simple: getting into the city in time to enjoy a World Cup that is now only days away.