With Toronto set as a host city for the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup, Professor David Roberts is co-leading a research team that is investigating how the tournament’s human rights promises translate into reality for local residents.  

Building on his doctoral research into the socio-spatial inequalities driven by the 2010 World Cup in Durban, South Africa, he is now co-lead of a SSHRC partnership development grant focused on the Toronto context and working collaboration with researchers from four southern Ontario universities and community partners like Maximum City and The Neighbourhood Group. 

The team is documenting the tournament’s impact through: 

1. Critical policy audits of human rights frameworks at all levels of government 

2. Participatory youth research that empowers young people to use digital storytelling and socio-spatial mapping to share their lived experiences 

3. Future-proofing rights by providing concrete recommendations for protecting youth and children’s rights in the planning of future mega-events