Although tickets are not sold out, the fan zone for the opening of the World Cup has been canceled due to rain, and the biggest national teams are playing matches in the United States and Mexico, fans who have arrived in Toronto are determined to enjoy the historic moment - the first World Cup match ever played on Canadian soil, writes Reuters.
They arrived in the city to attend the home team's premiere match against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Group B, tonight at 21 pm our time.
Some traveled to Toronto for very practical reasons. Some fans chose Canada simply because it's not America, even though the two countries are similar in many ways. Others took the opportunity to stop by for a few beers, given that the legal drinking limit in Canada is lower than in the United States.
"We came to Toronto because of the cheap airfares, and in America we can't drink because we're 20," Bryden, from Scotland, told Reuters reporters.
He and six other friends, dressed in traditional Scottish kilts, walked around the famous CN Tower on Thursday in search of a local pub.
The plan was to enjoy a few beers before heading to Boston on Saturday, where Scotland play their opening Group C match against Haiti. Unlike Toronto, where the drinking age is 19, Boston has a 21-year-old age limit.
Canada is also home to a large immigrant community, so the stands and city streets are filled with fans of various national teams.
Irfan (41), a Canadian citizen originally from Bosnia and Herzegovina, traveled from Ottawa with his two children to cheer on the national team of his country of origin.
"This will be a historic day for Bosnia and Herzegovina," he said.
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The World Cup in Toronto has been the subject of criticism in recent days due to high ticket prices, traffic jams, and the expansion of the stadium with temporary prefabricated stands.
The storm brought additional problems. City authorities abruptly closed the fan zone during the opening match between Mexico and South Africa on Thursday due to a storm warning.
However, the bad weather did not dampen the spirits of the fans, who moved to bars and public spaces across the city to continue watching the game.
Patrik Cikvak (42) bought the tickets a few months ago hoping to watch the Canada-Italy match. He paid 1.300 Canadian dollars, or about 930 US dollars, for the ticket, and was disappointed that Italy did not qualify for the World Cup.
"But it means we won't see clashes between Italian fans and opposing team supporters and that Canada will have more support from the stands," said Cikvak.
Canada also has the reputation of being a country that is often perceived as more hospitable than its southern neighbor.
"Right now I prefer Canada to the United States," said Maximilian Roth, who traveled from Munich to watch the games in Toronto.
Germany will play against Ivory Coast on June 20 at the Toronto Stadium.
"But if Germany advances, I will have to visit the United States as well," said the 26-year-old Roth with a smile.
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