Why the World Cup Is Peak Dating Season

Shane Hewitt and The Nightshift · Jun 25, 2026 · 9m

Sports dating Toronto is having a moment, and Tony Tedesco and Jen Kirsch are here to explain why major sporting events are doing something dating apps have never figured out. Sociologists call it collective effervescence: strangers sharing the same emotion at the same moment, high-fiving, hugging, talking to people they never would have approached on a Tuesday. The game is the opening line. Nobody has to think of one.

This isn't only about hookups. Kirsch traces a connection she made through a Jays profile line that turned into something real, and Tedesco makes the case that seeing someone…