It's 1 year until the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Is Vancouver ready?

Gemma Karstens-Smith · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Jun 12, 2025 1:25 AM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

One twelvemonth retired from the FIFA World Cup, questions stay astir wherever shot fans visiting Vancouver volition enactment and however overmuch it volition outgo to support the metropolis safe. 

Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim spoke to reporters astatine an lawsuit marking the one-year countdown to the tourney connected Wednesday, saying the metropolis began moving connected information plans adjacent earlier it was confirmed to big 7 2026 World Cup games.

He says those plans were "augmented" aft 11 radical were killed erstwhile a antheral drove a car into a assemblage astatine the Lapu-Lapu Day festival successful April.

The information costs person not been publically released, but Sim says the metropolis volition "make the indispensable investments to marque definite that radical are harmless successful the metropolis of Vancouver" during the event.

WATCH | Is hosting the World Cup worthy it? 

Spencer Chandra Herbert, B.C.'s curate of tourism, arts, civilization and sport, says the state volition merchandise a "full costing" aboriginal this month, updating however overmuch it expects to walk connected the World Cup.

Back successful April 2024, B.C. organizers estimated the outgo astatine betwixt $483 cardinal and $581 cardinal for metropolis and provincial services, arsenic good arsenic upgrades to B.C. Place stadium.

Vancouver Coun. Sean Orr said helium isn't convinced the economical benefits of the tourney volition outweigh concerns about cost overruns, security, and imaginable semipermanent effects on housing affordability.

"I conscionable don't cognize if throwing a enactment successful the midst of, you know, [a] imaginable downturn successful the system is the champion program close now," helium told CBC News.

"We've got threats of tariffs, we've got, you know, downturns successful the marketplace ... is this the champion usage of our resources close now? That's my large concern."

Hotel rooms up successful the air

About 350,000 radical are expected to sojourn Vancouver during the World Cup, Chandra Herbert said astatine Wednesday's event.

Questions person been raised astir wherever they'll stay, arsenic a metropolis study released successful April noted determination are conscionable 13,000 rooms dispersed crossed 78 hotels wrong the municipality.

The study recovered that Vancouver mislaid astir 550 edifice rooms betwixt 2020 and 2022, successful portion due to the fact that immoderate older hotels were converted to lodging for susceptible people. 

WATCH | Questions implicit edifice capableness successful Vancouver: 

Royce Chwin, CEO of Destination Vancouver, said the 7 matches Vancouver will host volition beryllium dispersed passim June and July of adjacent year, starring to an "ebb and flow" of visitors.

"We had 9 hotels successful the pipeline a mates years ago," helium told CBC News. "We're present up to 23 due to the fact that we're getting the connection retired there."

Tourists whitethorn request to get originative during the tournament, Chandra Herbert suggested.

"We're moving with our edifice partners crossed the province," helium said. "We deliberation there's accidental for radical to enactment further afield.

"We cognize Hullo and B.C. Ferries, we're looking astatine them arsenic an accidental for overflow, adjacent each the mode to Nanaimo," the curate added. "Of course, retired successful the [Fraser] Valley."

Chandra Herbert said immoderate Vancouver residents whitethorn besides look to rent retired their homes during the World Cup. 

Both the state and the City of Vancouver person regulations for short-term rentals, including rules connected what types of homes tin beryllium used. In Vancouver, each operators indispensable besides person a concern licence.

"It's a bully occupation to have," Chandra Herbert said. "A full clump of radical privation to travel and beryllium with america in B.C., and we can't hold to invited them."

The FIFA World Cup kicks disconnected connected June 11, 2026, with opening games successful Mexico City and Guadalajara. Toronto and Vancouver are the 2 Canadian cities hosting matches, arsenic portion of the 16 big cities crossed Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.

Vancouver volition signifier 5 opening-round games starting June 13, positive a round-of-32 and a round-of-16 match.