Why some Germany fans chose Toronto for FIFA World Cup but skipped U.S. cities

Toronto Stadium hosted its first sellout of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Saturday, as Germany beat Côte d'Ivoire 2-1 on Saturday.

By now, we're sure you've seen the videos of German supporters marching along Toronto's lakeshore and packing Amsterdam Brewery, as they racked up millions of views on social media ahead of Saturday's game.

Curious about the turnout, blogTO asked several supporters who were at the brewery whether they had been following the German team across North America. 

The answer surprised us. No.

Thousands of Germany fans parade down Toronto's Lakeshore Blvd. ahead of Saturday's match against Côte d'Ivoire. (Marley Dickinson/Offside)

Germany opened the tournament in Houston at a stadium that seats more than 68,000 fans. They played on Saturday in Toronto, before heading to New York/New Jersey to play their final group-stage game against Ecuador.

Several German fans said their decision not to visit the U.S. came down to political reasons. 

"It feels there's a lot of corruption in the States, with Infantino, Trump and all that FIFA Peace Prize stuff," said one supporter, who travelled from Hanover. "It's not how I want to celebrate football."

Others said they simply preferred Canada's atmosphere.

"In the U.S., I feel it's 120 per cent commercial, but [in Toronto] they still enjoy the atmosphere, and the World Cup itself," another German fan said. "We've really enjoyed our time here."

With Germany playing World Cup group stage matches in Toronto, Houston and New Jersey, these fans explained why they picked the Canadian city to watch their team

“I don’t want to go to the U.S. when there’s this clown as president, you know?” pic.twitter.com/PzgLsK6DOr

— Bryan Meler (@BryanMeler) June 21, 2026

The crowd at Toronto Stadium reflected that, appearing to be 95 per cent German on Saturday afternoon. Thousands of fans appeared to have travelled from Europe and elsewhere, while many locals with German roots also pulled up to cheer on the four-time FIFA World Cup champions.

Even Germany's head coach, Julian Nagelsmann, noticed.

"I found the atmosphere in the stadium to be extremely loud," Nagelsmann said to reporters following the match.

"There were many German jerseys. I think there was an emotional push from the players for the travelling fans."

The coach added that he and his players appreciate the sacrifices supporters make to travel across the Atlantic to cheer on the national team.

"The support was extraordinary," he said.

Germany's late win over Côte d'Ivoire helped them secure top spot in Group E and a place in the knockout round, despite still having one group-stage match remaining against Ecuador on June 25.