TORONTO : The World Cup’s smallest stadium will host one of its biggest occasions on Thursday when Portugal face Croatia in a Round of 32 clash that could mark Cristiano Ronaldo or Luka Modric’s final appearance on soccer’s biggest stage.
With a capacity of 43,036, Toronto Stadium is the smallest venue being used for the tournament, but organisers and fans say its intimate atmosphere has made it one of the competition’s standout settings.
Any doubts about whether the venue could match the atmosphere of larger stadiums in the United States and Mexico have been dispelled after five sold-out group-stage matches generated vibrant crowds and memorable moments.
While Toronto Stadium cannot rival the scale of the tournament’s biggest arenas, its compact design brings supporters closer to the pitch, offering excellent sightlines throughout the ground.
The home of Major League Soccer club Toronto FC underwent a C$158 million ($111.4 million) renovation to expand its capacity and meet World Cup requirements, with temporary upgrades transforming the venue for the tournament.
Soccer fan James Cuthbert said the stadium had changed dramatically since he attended Canada’s friendly against Iceland in March while renovation work was still underway.
“It feels different, it feels more like a world-class stadium,” said Cuthbert, who also attended the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Despite sitting in the back row of the upper tier for Senegal’s group-stage match against Iraq, Cuthbert said the view exceeded his expectations.
“We’re in the very highest seats but it feels amazing,” he said.
“Just being so close to everything, it still has that same World Cup feel.”
Many of the U.S. venues hosting the tournament are large NFL stadiums with capacities ranging from 64,000 to 80,000, creating a different experience.
Belgium midfielder Kevin De Bruyne has said venues in Seattle and Los Angeles felt more like American football stadiums.
Mexico, meanwhile, boasts one of world soccer’s most iconic grounds in the 80,824-capacity Azteca Stadium, where Brazil’s Pele and Argentina’s Diego Maradona lifted the World Cup and where Maradona scored both his “Hand of God” and “Goal of the Century” against England in 1986.
Toronto Stadium lacks that history but was purpose-built for soccer, and its smaller capacity has created a close connection between players and supporters.
Croatia captain Luka Modric was serenaded by thousands of red-and-white-clad fans after earning his 200th international cap during his side’s 1-0 group-stage victory over Panama.
As Modric and his teammates completed a lap of honour, the passion of Croatia’s travelling support echoed around the open-air stadium on the shores of Lake Ontario.
Thursday’s meeting between Portugal and Croatia now offers the venue its biggest moment yet, with two of the game’s greatest players, Ronaldo and Modric, chasing one more memorable chapter in their World Cup careers.
