FIFA World Cup 2026: Vancouver Hosts Seven Matches
 

this is going to be a big deal eh

Vancouver’s BC Place will host seven games during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, including three of Canada’s group stage matches. Angela Bower reports.

https://vancouver.citynews.ca/video/...-2026-matches/

How big of a deal it is will really depend on the matchups. If we get a marquee game involving something like an England, France, Argentina etc. holy hell will hotels be swamped.

There's ~13,000 rooms in Vancouver, with another ~10,000 elsewhere in the Metro. BC Place has a capacity of ~55,000. Assuming absolutely no one else needs a hotel room, and everyone double bunks, and is willing to go as far as Langley/Maple Ridge in some cases, we might be okay. :haha:

We are getting 1 round of 16 match (Toronto nada), so we will likely see at least one of those type teams in a huge match. Half a billion people will have their eyes on Vancouver for that match.

And Vancouver will look damn sexy for it.

Even the most pessimistic resident of Vancouver has to admit the shots of BC Place with a lit-up Science World and a False Creek full of boats in the foreground, or an aerial of DT Vancouver with The Lions in the distance, or English Bay with a sunset behind several tankers and cargo ships can't be beat.

So long as FIFA doesn't take the money, run, and leave us with the debt. It's a common occurrence.

• Video Link

The FIFA dates are all at a time when hotel rooms would be close to full anyway. What a waste of money. Vancouver doesn’t need to be featured on the world stage because “ nobody knows about it” anymore.

will this prompt the city to push hotel proposals through faster now? even so, they wouldn't be able to get done in time, but maybe the old Four Seasons will get its ass in gear.

I read that people are looking at staying in Kelowna and coming to Vancouver for the games.

I don't think hosting a few World Cup matches at a pre-existing venue is the kind of loss-leader PR campaign that hosting the Olympics was. Yes, some money will need to be spent to upgrade BC place, but I think revenues generated in the local economy will easily exceed the costs to host the matches.

What about anchoring some cruise ships to serve as floating hotels during the matches? But I suppose all cruise ships will be busy during the World Cup given it coincides with the cruise high season.

If we want to encourage tourism maybe that $260 million could have been spent to house the homeless and get them out of the parks.

They do that in Monaco for F1, so I could see them doing that here.

That's going to do almost nothing for tourism, and government has demonstrated throwing money at the problem has not been good value per dollar spent.

Unlike the Olympics this shared WC is actually pretty good overall value because of how spread out the costs are amongst the host cities - very few people seriously argue that (or have much substance to back that argument up with).

The biggest complaint or negative comment I have heard from tourists to Vancouver is the street disorder, the junkies slumped over on downtown sidewalks, tents on streets etc.

Sure, these might be cheaper than the Olympics but that is still a quarter of a billion dollars that could have been spent elsewhere. Add in the fact it is going to take up hotel rooms at an already busy time and its not a plus for the city.

We can't continue the discourse that Vancouver needs to host/feature these events for "exposure" to fuel future tourism. That mentality has existed for every major event that's occurred here for decades.

I agree, we're at a point now where Vancouver is world class, and deserves to be hosting world class events like the FIFA World Cup.

most of the tickets will be sold to locals or people driving up from Seattle.

There will be an incredible amount of couch surfing within our immigrant communities when overseas cousins find out that their country is playing here.

The people who do come are hardcore and willing fly to Nanaimo and just ferry it over (Qatar was similar)

Also, not every game is going to be packed. Maybe 4 out of the 7 will have any type of real attendance.

It's 48 teams now. Noboby is going to care about Saudia Arabia vs Mali

I think you are underestimating the value of the Vancouver schedule.
Only Vancouver, LA and Mexico City get two home games in the first stage, and for Vancouver the R32 and R16 games (of which Canada has potential to also play) will all sell out. For the three remaining games the odds of a marquee game are just as good as a poor one. Of all the cities involved Vancouver has one of the best schedules and considering we are the second smallest city (after KC) by a pretty big margin, FIFA must be pretty impressed with what they think Vancouver can achieve.
Whistler will also be able to assist with the volume of rooms needed (although Vancouver will need all the hotel rooms in can produce between now and 2026.)

Forgot to mention that info is incorrect, Toronto gets the first Canadian game.

My fingers are crossed for Netherlands but Italy will be NUTS here. If they end up playing against each other here, there will be a civil war in my household and I am outnumbered and out gunned.

I've moved the hotel/airbnb discussion to this thread.
https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/sho...d.php?t=237090

Thank you. Congratulations on your new role (and good luck!)

Maybe the world has devolved too much but back in the 80's Greater Vancouver residents were encouraged to renovate and add rooms to rent or billet guests. The Province had a whole reservation system to accommodate millions of visitors in 86.

Isn't that AirBnB?

the internet is a fad. the gov't does not expect this to be around still in 2026

Hahaha thanks, yes it’s going to be a bit of an uphill battle.

Wow, how much social housing would this have funded?

Hosting costs for 2026 FIFA World Cup in Vancouver double, may hit $581-million
VANCOUVER
THE CANADIAN PRESS
PUBLISHED 43 MINUTES AGO
FOR SUBSCRIBERS

Organizers of the seven FIFA World Cup soccer matches coming to Vancouver in 2026 say the estimated cost of hosting the event has more than doubled in the last two years.

The latest estimates put the price tag at between $483-million and $581-million, including costs for the city, the province and stadium upgrades.

The province says the event is expected to generate enough revenue to result in a net cost of between $100-million and $145-million.

Documents say the fresh numbers include updated hosting, operating and capital requirements following FIFA site visits, increased inflation assumptions, and provincial costs such as public sector essential services.

The original March 2022 cost estimate for five matches, before Vancouver was chosen as a host, was pegged at up to $260-million....

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/cana...e-may-hit-581/

...and the teams who are scheduled to play in Vancouver are going to train where exactly?

Trout Lake? :cheers:

Swanguard? UBC? SFU? Empire Field? Lots of options for fields around the lower mainland for training.

I would imagine they would have to control public access to these fields. UBC, SFU, Swanguard, Wiloughby no problems and everything is in place. Put some fences up and Newton, Burnaby, InterRiver, so many great options

Places to train will not be a problem.

Vancouver selected to host FIFA Congress ahead of the 2026 World Cup
Vancouver will host the 76th FIFA Congress on April 30, 2026, bringing representatives of all 211 members of the world governing body of soccer to Canada ahead of the World Cup.

https://www.nsnews.com/the-mix/vanco...d-cup-10667686

Pretty big nod to Vancouver as a host city by FIFA to do the annual meeting here out of all the other bigger host cities next year.

This was pretty predictable:

Kirk LaPointe: World Cup windfall fades into fantasy as costs keep climbing
B.C. taxpayers are pouring millions into seven FIFA World Cup matches while tourism payoff remains wishful thinking
Kirk LaPointe
Jun 26, 2025 4:00 PM

The world is full of surprises. The least of them is that the FIFA World Cup games in Vancouver will cost more than anticipated even months ago.

Such is the splatter of taxpayer provisions on these political fanboy baubles that it begins to anesthetize the mind’s requirement for sense in the world. Millions here, millions there, millions and millions everywhere, and economic modelling defiant of basic gravity.

Two years ago, when the plan was to host five games, the tab was going to be $230 million. Last year, after a new plan emerged to host seven games, the province, the City of Vancouver and the Crown corporation that owns BC Place estimated it would be more than double that—$483 million to $581 million.

Now—or, I should say, at least for now—the tally is between $532 million and $624 million....

https://www.biv.com/news/commentary/...mbing-10870049

Do we know what exactly increased the estimate? The City is still projecting the same costs and the same revenue from the temp Vancovuer-only hotel tax ($230m).

Wonder what the economic impact will be on neighbouring cities.

Do you ever post anything positive? A dark cloud always hangs over you. Oh how must miss the Covid shutdowns. A long lost friend.

Meanwhile, the rest of us are going to enjoy a very rare event in this city, while you sit at home sulking.

I believe Kirk was demanding to know why the NDP weren't doing more to attract the World Cup to Vancouver, way back when. What a hack.

That said, FIFA being FIFA, I wouldn't be surprised if it ends up being a net loss once they pack up and leave.

So easy to give away other people's money. But sure, if you want to cheer taxpayers money being handed over to one of the most corrupt sporting organizations in the world, have at it.

Isn't most of the money being spent on security and facilities teams will use?

for a better understanding, its best to go to the source:

https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/Provinc...Update_BG1.pdf

Security would be my guess...

Definitely employing locals and patronizing local business I would expect.

whatnext is a chicken little Debbie downer.

LaPointe is an embarrassing partisan hack. He's gone down that rabbit hole ever since being rejected when he ran for Mayor of Vancouver.

yeah, lapointe is lapoite-ing, this is from the same guy a few years ago:

Why Horgan should rethink his opposition to hosting World Cup games

In recent days sports bars were saturated and living room couch cushions compressed as men’s teams sought the Euro 2020 and Copa América soccer titles. This is not news: We know the Lower Mainland is soccer-mad, in a good way.

There's a reason politicians spend public money for bread & circuses. To distract the dullwitted from real issues.

If you think you're the forum's "real issues" poster, you'll be disappointed.

I also think this will be a HUGE mistake.

LOL, so you support stuff like this? Thank goodness we have our priorities straight. :rolleyes:

Civil jury trials to be paused during FIFA World Cup in Vancouver
Amir Ali
Jul 8 2025, 9:43 am

The FIFA World Cup is less than a year away from coming to Vancouver, and it’ll have a significant impact on the provincial court system, including the pausing of civil jury trials.

According to Court Operations, due to the strain that the World Cup will have on police resources, certain court dates will need to be rescheduled, and certain sessions will be paused during the FIFA World Cup in Vancouver...

...Court Operations states that due to the influx of visitors in Vancouver, leading to heavy traffic congestion, hotel rooms may be difficult to come by, particularly for deliberating juries and out-of-town witnesses.

“The full extent of the impacts is uncertain and will remain so for some time,” the release states, adding, “We do know that the effects on the police and sheriff resources required to participate in or support the court’s operations will be substantial, particularly in respect of criminal trials and jury trials.”...

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/fifa...r-civil-trials

for context, the honda celebration of light gets about 1.4 viewers over 3 nights in a very select few neighbourhoods and vancouver has been hosting this for generations. Plus we had the olympics and taylor swift which was all successfully held here

for the world cup, Vancouver will get 7 matches of which maybe 4 would be of any significance. we don't need to reschedule anything.

And I believe the AA Convention just wrapped up in Vancouver, with 30,000 attendees yet life went on as normal despite the demand on hotel rooms.

Where did I say that? It sucks, but it works out to at most a (cumulative) month's worth of legal delays... in other words, yet another nothingburger with a catchy headline to grab gullible fearmongers, one more than worthy of a prestigious, unbiased institution such as DailyHive.

Add another zero, then 71k. The Qatar World Cup saw about 53k attendees per match. We're getting seven matches.