Toronto draw record crowd against Messi's Inter Miami in World Cup dress rehearsal - Reuters
Toronto draw record crowd against Messi's Inter Miami in World Cup dress rehearsal Reuters
Coverage by Political Leaning
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Notable Quotes
"This weekend will serve as a real life test run with a number of high attendance sporting events in town."
— Olivia Chow , Politician
"This weekend’s match is a valuable opportunity for city divisions, emergency services, transit agencies, venue operators and other partners to work together in a live event setting."
— Sharon Bollenbach , Executive
"I think this will actually be a good preview of the World Cup because of the types of fans."
— Trevor Ellis , Celebrity
"I think the structure had to look better than this, especially when you have people coming from other countries."
— Jaime Garcia , Celebrity
"I think about the old Michael Jordan expression: you can't stop him; we can only hope to contain him."
— Robin Fraser , Athlete
"You obviously know that his quality in front of goal is special, and so [you try] to limit the amount of times that he has a free lane to shoot or make a final pass."
— Walker Zimmerman , Athlete
"It's about containing Messi while also not losing sight of the big picture, especially because Miami has so many other dangerous attacking weapons at its disposal."
— Walker Zimmerman , Athlete
"He’s the best who’s ever played the game; It’s a big task and, in some ways, a big motivator for teams that play against them."
— Robin Fraser , Athlete
"I always see the good side, not the bad."
— Giullermo Hoyos , Athlete
Key People
Giullermo Hoyos is the interim coach of Inter Miami.
Jaime Garcia is a local spectator who shared his opinions on the stadium's exterior and preparations for the World Cup.
Lionel Messi is a renowned Argentine soccer player, widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time.
Luis Suárez is one of the most recognized forwards in Uruguayan football history.
The Mayor of Toronto who paid tribute to Officer Pinizzotto.
Robin Fraser is the head coach of Toronto FC.
Sharon Bollenbach is the executive director of the World Cup 2026 Toronto Secretariat.
Telasco Segovia is a professional soccer player who contributes to the attacking lineup of Inter Miami.
Trevor Ellis is a longtime Toronto FC fan who expressed his thoughts on the match and stadium experience.
Walker Zimmerman is an American professional soccer defender and a two-time MLS defender of the year.
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<a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMixwFBVV95cUxNNVNrdTB2a3hGQzFvV0o3ZWgyMlVDM2tWa0xHTWNGU0lvcUpVNVl0ZWZtT1F6bHZqMmpQTU5hNnJBY1l0MkFKYVdIZWxRbVVpWlo4a1F3MWpQOHFoVktQb1Z4b1VId2tIUjlUQmg0VDVXU0drMFVMUUp3bWt0QnctTF91R1lld3Vja3NKTmkxTVZCbGpTdHo5aGZkVUNDZEhlRUcxUFYtUmlHbUV0N3V4aTc1WDhfbmcybFNNMlRxMklUTGJ2Nm1n?oc=5" target="_blank">Toronto draw record crowd against Messi's Inter Miami in World Cup dress rehearsal</a> <font color="#6f6f6f">Reuters</font>
Toronto FC hosted Inter Miami CF at BMO Field in front of a record-breaking crowd of nearly 45,000 fans, serving as a critical operational test for the stadium's expanded capacity ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Toronto FC, winless in six games across all competitions, faces the challenge of hosting Lionel Messi and Inter Miami at BMO Field, with both teams aiming to rebound from recent losses.
Lionel Messi and Inter Miami are set to face Toronto FC at the expanded BMO Field, with both teams eager to recover from recent defeats and the stadium's capacity increased to 45,736 for the World Cup.
In a match serving as a dress rehearsal for the FIFA World Cup, Toronto FC faced a 4-2 defeat to Inter Miami at the newly renovated BMO Field, which now accommodates over 45,000 spectators.
Toronto FC attracted a record crowd of nearly 45,000 fans for a match against Lionel Messi's Inter Miami, serving as a dress rehearsal for the upcoming World Cup matches at BMO Field.
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