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The first FIFA World Cup game in Toronto is set to take place on Friday when Canada takes on Bosnia and Herzegovina.
But if you aren’t attending a match at Toronto Stadium or couldn’t get tickets to FIFA Fan Festival, not to worry, there are plenty of other places in the city to catch a game.
Canada Soccer House at Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre is expected to be the go-to spot for fans sporting red and white.
It will be playing all Canada matches on the big screen, including the team’s first game on home soil this Friday.
“We have about 6,000 people already pre-registered to come down here,” said Laura Armstrong, vice-president of communications at Canadian Soccer Media & Entertainment.
“This is how we’re going to create Canadian soccer culture and Canadian soccer culture is really a thing that can connect people.”
If you’re searching for something to do at halftime, Sport Chek has set up a floating pitch right on Lake Ontario.
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“It’s like a giant waterbed that you can play soccer on,” said Sport Chek president Scott Dowding.
Over at STACKT market, adidas has opened its Home of Soccer fan hub, where people can catch all of the FIFA matches.
“We have a lot of really cool menu items that will be special for certain games associated with the countries that are playing and also supported by local chefs so, really fun to check out,” said Kelly Graham, head of marketing for adidas Canada.
It’s free to enter, but first come, first served.
Fans can also try on some adidas cleats to test their kick speed and compare it to famous soccer legends like Lionel Messi.
“You’ll see some of these cleats on pitch during the World Cup itself,” Graham said.
NODO in Liberty Village is just steps from Toronto Stadium.
The Italian restaurant is expecting a rush of customers during the World Cup and has added extra TVs so it can play each game.
Afterwards, it will have live DJs.
“This is your neighbourhood spot. Come to Liberty Village, there are so many good things that are offered. But for us, we have a giant capacity here, it’s going to be a great neighbourhood watch party,” said Vito Tomasicchio, partner at NODO.
The restaurant will not be taking reservations during the tournament, so Tomasicchio recommends coming early to secure a table.
“We’ve been gearing up for this for about three months so, we’re ready,” he said.
If you’re looking for something indoors, Cineplex has partnered up with TSN to screen select World Cup matches live in theatres across Canada, including the GTA.
Tickets are $9.99 before taxes.
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