FIFA requests priority health care access for athletes, VIPs ahead of 2026 World Cup in Toronto and Vancouver
The ask comes at arduous time for Ontario and B.C. health care systems
Organizers of the FIFA Men's World Cup in 2026 have requested pre-arranged access to medical care for athletes and VIPs at Toronto and Vancouver hospitals as part of both cities' responsibility for the games.
According to a FIFA document outlining host city requirements, the organization is asking for the access in designated hospitals as well as a full range of medical specialist care, medication, and adequately qualified medical staff.
In simple terms, pre-arranged access means that FIFA aims to have a clearly designated hospital for athletes or VIPs seeking urgent emergency care after being evaluated at the stadium facilities.
Canada is a co-host of the tournament with the U.S. and Mexico, with Toronto playing host to six games, and Vancouver seven. The tournament runs from June 11 to July 19, 2026.
A statement from FIFA to CBC Sports says that the guidelines are in place for all FIFA tournaments and are similar to those of other international bodies organizing major events.
"FIFA's medical guidelines seek to establish clearly defined processes that ensure efficient provision of care to tournament participants and avoid any unnecessary burden on local healthcare resources," the statement said. "Medical services are designed to primarily ensure that there is no delay in providing rapid access to emergency care in time-critical situations."
Ontario's Ministry of Health told CBC Sports that any and all requests regarding the healthcare system are "from FIFA" and "do not reflect commitments from the Ministry of Health."
Meanwhile, B.C.'s Ministry of Health says that no agreements exist with Vancouver Coastal Health to provide FIFA athletes or VIPs with priority access to the provincial health care system.
"As always, urgent care will be provided based on medical need, with patients triaged and treated according to the severity of their illness or condition. Furthermore, the B.C. government has not signed any contracts with FIFA regarding the organization, staging, or operation of the FIFA World Cup 26 matches," a statement to CBC Sports said.
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Health care strain
While the requests of the organization have not yet been publicly granted or denied, the ask comes at an arduous time for the Ontario health care system, with more than 2,500 more physicians needed across the province, according to HealthForceOntario.
As of late 2024, about 1.2 million patients are currently waiting to see a health expert in British Columbia in specialized areas including cardiology, urology, orthopedic surgery, and neurology, according to a survey conducted by Doctors of BC and the Consultant Specialists of BC.
Kerry Bowman, a University of Toronto professor of bioethics, says the request is a "serious ethical problem."
"I don't see FIFA as being the problem, because they know what their standard practice is. I would see the problem as resting within Canadian healthcare representatives," Bowman told CBC Sports. "Often what happens in sports medicine, the status of the athlete is what determines the access to care, and that's very problematic ethically."
The FIFA document also highlights medical requirements for VIPs who will be in attendance at the games, an elite category of people which often includes dignitaries, celebrities, and other high status people.
"VIP status for healthcare…you can't do that in Canada ethically…you can't knock other people out of alignment," said Bowman.
The Ontario Hospital Association declined CBC Sports request for comment, and CBC Sports did not hear back from several Toronto hospitals at the time of publication.
Michael Garron Hospital (MGH) provided a general statement in response to the request.
"We are committed to delivering high-quality care to everyone that comes through our doors. Like all hospitals across Ontario, we assess and treat every patient based on the urgency of their condition to ensure they can receive the care they need in a safe and timely manner," the statement said.
Under the Canada Health Act, each provincial health care system must ensure the quality and accessibility of medical services, including using wait-lists, triage systems, and resource allocation to determine patient prioritization.
Non-urgent surgeries and treatments are scheduled according to the need for medical attention, while emergency departments prioritize patients based on triage systems to assess the severity of the case.
"So does this happen? Is this standard practice? Probably, but if it was the United States or countries with extensive private coverage, it may be completely different. But we're talking about Canada here," Bowman said. "There's no grey area, they should not grant this."
Past execution of Games in Toronto
Although it's the first time Toronto will host FIFA World Cup soccer games, the city is no stranger to executing major sporting events, having hosted the Pan Am Games back in 2015.
Dr. Julia Alleyne was the Chief Medical Officer for Toronto's Pan Am Games and she says that the Games did not access publicly funded services.
If hospital care was required, it was paid through a private medical insurance plan, not the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP).
"The organizing committee purchased a medical insurance policy for Games Accredited international persons who were athletes or direct athlete support," she told CBC Sports in an email. "Agreements to treat and bill the insurance were set up with 11 hospitals according to where the sports venues were located."
The Ministry of Health and City of Toronto did not organize medical coverage for the Pan Am Games in 2015, according to Alleyne.
The Games funded and operationalized medical services such as X-ray, US, MRI, low risk emergency care, and rehabilitation services in the main polyclinic for accredited people to access.
At the Pan Am Games, accredited people included competitive athletes or members of the athlete support country team.
In the case that a person required transport to a hospital, Pan Am 2015 had hired private ambulance services that were stationed at high risk sport venues and the polyclinic.
"We did not take any public ambulances out of their usual service, we hired additional ambulance hours and paramedics," Alleyne said.
While the FIFA games are just under 16 months away, the Ministry of Health says it continues to coordinate with the City of Toronto, provincial partners, health system partners, and FIFA in planning for the big event.
"Throughout FIFA, and beyond, our government will work with our healthcare partners to ensure they have the tools they need to deliver high-quality care for all Ontario residents, spectators, and players" a Ministry of Health spokesperson told CBC Sports.
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