With FIFA World Cup 2026 Underway in Toronto, The Steve & Sally Stavro Family Foundation Calls on Media to Remember Soccer Visionary Steve Stavro
The builder who believed Toronto belonged on the world soccer stage long before anyone else
TORONTO, June 18, 2026 /CNW/ – As Toronto welcomes the world for FIFA World Cup 2026, members of the Steve & Sally Family Foundation are encouraging media outlets to shine a spotlight on a remarkable local figure whose contributions helped shape the city’s soccer story decades before the tournament arrived: Steve Stavro.
Long celebrated as one of Toronto’s most influential business and community leaders, Stavro is widely remembered for his impact on retail, philanthropy and professional sports. Less recognized, however, is his role as an early champion of soccer in Canada and as the owner of Toronto City, where he helped elevate the game at a time when few envisioned Toronto as an international soccer destination.
In 1961, the Eastern Canada Professional Soccer League was formed, a four-team league with representation from Hamilton, Montreal, and two Toronto teams, the Toronto Italia and Toronto City, a brand-new endeavour under the auspices of George Gross and Steve Stavro. To elevate the profile of professional soccer in Toronto, Stavro and Gross travelled to the United Kingdom and recruited several international stars for their new team Toronto City, including Scottish captain Tommy Younger, England captain Johnny Haynes, Northern Ireland captain Danny Blanchflower, and legendary Sir Stanley Matthews. Their efforts brought world-class talent and high-profile exhibition matches to Toronto, helping establish the city as an emerging centre for the sport in Canada.
In June 1961 a Globe and Mail journalist dubbed Stavro the ‘merchant of soccer’ for the same ‘burning enthusiasm and indomitable optimism’ that made him a grocery magnate.
These events gave local fans a rare opportunity to experience world-class soccer firsthand and helped demonstrate that Toronto could support and embrace the global game. Long before Toronto FC, sold-out stadiums, and FIFA’s decision to bring the World Cup to Toronto, Stavro saw soccer’s potential to unite communities and connect the city to the world.
Stavro’s commitment to soccer reflected a broader belief in the power of sport to bring together newcomers, families and diverse communities across Toronto. His efforts came at a pivotal time, when much of Canada’s soccer culture was being built by immigrant communities who viewed the game as a vital connection to their heritage and identity.
As a result of his contributions, Steve was honoured as a life member of the Canadian Soccer Association and was also inducted into the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame in 2005 as an “honoured builder” of the sport.
As FIFA 2026 shines an international spotlight on the city, the Steve & Sally Stavro Family Foundation hopes Torontonians will also remember one of the early visionaries who helped lay the foundation for this moment and whose belief in Toronto’s soccer future came decades before the world took notice. One-on-one interview opportunities are available with Elaine Stavro, Director, The Steve & Sally Stavro Family Foundation.
SOURCE The Steve & Sally Stavro Family Foundation
