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Why FIFA World Cup tickets aren't selling out in Toronto

That was a great opening ceremony complete with some spectacular pyrotechnics.

But there are still plenty of empty seats in the lower level across from the press box. 

One hour to go until kickoff.

Three teenagers I spoke with earlier told me they remember Canada's humiliating 8-1 loss to Honduras in 2012 — which ended qualification hopes for the 2014 FIFA World Cup — like it was yesterday.

Christian, Daniel and Nicholas are drawing parallels between the quality of that team to the one that will soon take to the pitch today. 

"It seems now that we have the best team we've ever had and the chances look good for us," Christian told me. "So I think, honestly, everybody's just starting to get excited and … we have a really good chance at doing well here."

Daniel said he couldn't sleep the night before because he was "so excited" for the game and the World Cup vibe in Toronto. 

"It's about celebrating the world and bringing people together and giving the kids an opportunity to play," he added.

Bosnia's superfans have taken over two sections of the stadium right in the middle of the south end's upper deck. They've even redecorated, with their own banners covering up FIFA's red ones. 

If Bosnia nets one, that section is going up.

Toronto Stadium's expanded capacity is more than 43,000, making it the smallest venue at this World Cup. 

That's not necessarily a bad thing. Sports Illustrated lauded Toronto as having an "intimate match-viewing experience."

This stadium was built when Canada hosted the 2007 FIFA under-20 World Cup, and typical capacity is around 30,000.

Now, two hulking metal stands with thousands of seats have been added to the north and south ends of the field to hold an additional 17,000 fans. It'll be interesting to hear what fans think of those (early reviews from Toronto FC games have been positive). 

The opening ceremony begins with a performance honouring Indigenous people in Canada that combines traditional dancing and a speech by acclaimed singer-songwriter William Prince. 

"We carry the songs, we carry the stories, we carry the heartbeat," Prince said. 

"This is more than a moment; this is true connection." 

That's followed by Alessia Cara performing her hit song Wild Things. 

The World Cup is the world's most-watched sporting event, sure, but Toronto has handled bigger sports crowds.

Most recently: Major League Baseball's World Series.

The Toronto Blue Jays played nine home games during their heroic run last fall, with sold-out crowds of about 40,000 attending each Rogers Centre game. 

Toronto will only get six World Cup games, each with a similar number (though there's also the nearby fan fest). 

A more international comparison would be the 2015 Pan American Games. Those games saw Toronto build out an athletes' village — now a residential neighbourhood — and several major pieces of infrastructure, including a state-of-the-art aquatics centre and the UP Express rail link to the airport. 

The big build this time: temporarily expanding Toronto Stadium. 

Why FIFA World Cup tickets aren't selling out in Toronto

Tickets for today's match were still going for about $1,000 each, last I checked the resale market.

There's been plenty made of the high prices FIFA is charging during this North American tournament. 

Toronto's six games will cost an estimated $380 million to put on, with about $179 million of that coming directly from the municipality, according to a 2026 budget note. 

Whether that's worth it will be the subject of future reports. 

But Toronto's initial business plan shows some of the thinking behind the big spend.

Toronto's games could be watched by hundreds of millions of viewers, according to the business case, which is a huge amount of exposure.

More tangible, the city is anticipating an estimated $780 million in "topline economic activity," about $10 million in tax revenue and the expectation Toronto will welcome about 185,000 tourists for the World Cup.

According to a federal government report, the cost is $82 million per match.

The total government spend (from all three levels) on this tournament is an estimated $1.06 billion, according to the parliamentary budget officer. 

They're jamming Fatboy Slim's Right Here, Right Now ahead of the opening ceremony, and the media desk is vibrating. 

There's also a chopper flying low over the roof. 

I'm betting you can hear this game from blocks away.

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