On June 18, according to The Athletic, the FIFA World Cup viewing party outside Toronto City Hall was forced to end early on Tuesday night due to "safety concerns" caused by overly enthusiastic celebrations from fans during Argentina's 3-0 victory over Algeria.
These free, city-organized viewing events are held throughout the tournament at Nathan Phillips Square in front of Toronto City Hall.
However, during Tuesday night's event, due to the presence of fireworks and smoke flares, organizers decided to intervene and terminate the event early, fearing that overly passionate fan celebrations could lead to subsequent unrest.
Shortly after the match ended, as Messi completed a hat-trick (this match was played in Kansas City, with defending champions Argentina winning their first group stage match), the large screen at the venue was immediately turned off, and an announcement informed the audience that the event was over.
Sharon Bollenbach, Executive Director of the Toronto FIFA World Cup Secretariat, told The Athletic: "Due to public safety concerns, on-site staff ended the viewing event at Nathan Phillips Square early on June 16. The City of Toronto always prioritizes the safety of participants, staff, and volunteers at all events."
On-site safety
It is worth noting that since the viewing event is held in an open square, strict security checks are not carried out upon entry, but police and security personnel are still present on-site and in the surrounding area to maintain order.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow attended to greet the audience at the start of the event but was no longer present when the event was prematurely terminated.
When asked whether spectators were required to undergo security checks to enter the viewing area, the organizers did not respond.
Toronto is one of 16 host cities for this FIFA World Cup across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Toronto will host a total of 5 matches during this tournament.
The next match will be held on Saturday, between Germany and Côte d'Ivoire.