“Bigger Than the Olympics”: Is Vancouver Ready for FIFA World Cup 2026?

To truly understand the impact the FIFA World Cup will have on Vancouver, think of it like this: it will be bigger than any concert ever hosted in the city (including Taylor Swift), bigger than the 2010 Winter Olympics and bigger, even, than if the Vancouver Canucks won the Stanley Cup finals.

It is, says lead organizer Jessie Adcock, without exaggerating, “the most-watched competition on earth.”

“Just the global viewership of one regular group stage match exceeds the viewership of a Super Bowl and we are going to have seven of those matches in Vancouver,” says Adcock, who is heading Vancouver’s host committee for the World Cup. “I think the whole province is going to come alive.”

READ MORE: Everything We Know About FIFA World Cup 2026’s Vancouver Games So Far

Vancouver is one of 16 host cities for the 2026 World Cup, where 48 teams will play 104 matches across Canada, Mexico and the United States. The only other Canadian city is Toronto.

The vast scale of what is about to occur in June and July is difficult to wrap your head around, especially for people who aren’t fans of “the beautiful game.” To put it simply: it’s huge. FIFA will pump $1 billion in spending into the province over five years, as well as bring an additional one million visitors to the province (more than 360,000 of whom will be there just for the World Cup period itself), according to Destination BC and government estimates.

The cash-strapped provincial government will see a $224-million windfall in FIFA-related tax revenues (though it is also expected to have to spend up to $624 million in security, organization and venue upgrades).

“I don’t think Vancouverites understand how massive this will be,” says Vancouver mayor Ken Sim. “If you thought Expo 86 or the 2010 [Olympics] were big, they actually pale in comparison. The whole world is going to be looking at us.”

One major difference, though, is that B.C. won’t be left with any permanent new attractions—like BC Place, Science World or the SkyTrain system after Expo 86, or even the Sea to Sky Highway upgrades and Canada Line SkyTrain extension that we continued to enjoy after the Olympics were over.

Instead, the 44-year-old BC Place stadium will get new hospitality upgrades, refreshed dressing rooms, a renovated media broadcast centre and a new central video display board. The artificial field will be replaced with grass in order to meet FIFA requirements, but (sadly for the Whitecaps) it’s only temporary.

Tourism groups hope to extend the benefits outside of the Lower Mainland, enticing visitors who have extra days before and after the games to explore the rest of the province. To capitalize, FIFA Vancouver organizers have created a “community activation playbook” with information on how municipalities, organizations and people can host viewing parties (basically, keep it below 1,000 people to avoid broadcast licensing fees), avoid legal pitfalls (don’t reference the FIFA name, logo or brand without explicit permission) and even make a profit (for the first time, FIFA will let some applicants use its trademarks to create unique local merchandise).

The province expects expanded liquor licences, patios, outdoor festivals and parties across B.C., built around community experiences for watching the games.

These viewing parties and events may prove to be essential for most Vancouverites interested in watching matches. Getting a ticket to go in-person could be tough. More than 4.5 million people registered in the Visa pre-sale program for early tickets. Those lucky enough to score one will get access to a special FIFA celebration area around BC Place. The rest of us are invited to the “FIFA Fan Festival” party at Hastings Park.

For Vancouver businesses, the World Cup matches could mean a surge of downtown activity. The games are during the day, but the city is expected to come alive at night with all the visitors.

“I am confident our businesses will see a benefit from FIFA,” says Jane Talbot, president of the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association. It’s a view shared by the folks at City Hall, as well. “If you have a business in Vancouver and know how to run it, this is just the start of something absolutely amazing,” says Mayor Sim.

Still, there will be road closures to downtown as part of a two-kilometre “controlled area” around BC Place on game days. And it’s widely expected that various levels of government will try to minimize the visible street disorder and homelessness downtown before the international tourists arrive.

“I’ve been very clear with anyone with any decision-making capacity around FIFA that the narrative cannot be: don’t come downtown,” says Talbot. “We’ve heard that with other large-scale events and we’re just asking that’s not the narrative this time. Our members are looking forward to this event, our members are ready to support this event.”

READ MORE: City Informer: Where Are the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Mascots Now?

At a recent briefing for municipal officials, anti-poverty advocates encouraged FIFA organizers to consider building things like outdoor bathroom facilities that would remain permanent fixtures after the games to help the city’s most vulnerable.

For those visiting, Vancouver organizers say they are confident there will be enough accommodation spaces to handle the surge in soccer fans. Not everyone believes that, what with the already chronic hotel shortage and government restrictions on short-term rentals.

Airbnb, which is lobbying the province to loosen the short-term rules during FIFA, says it estimates up to 15,000 fans may not be able to find a space to stay on game days, and that hotel prices could spike more than 200 percent (echoing surge pricing that occurred during the 2024 Taylor Swift concert).

Adcock says one of the lasting legacies of FIFA in Vancouver will be the “operational muscle” that comes from bringing together the city, province, First Nations, businesses, tourism groups, security experts and others into a group that can actually pull off a world-class major event. It could be a “bright moment” for the province on an international stage, she says.

The organizing committee has spent years working on the plan. But even Adcock admits we won’t truly appreciate the immensity of the world’s largest sport, on its biggest stage in our own backyard, until it starts this summer.

“We do not know the tidal wave that will hit us,” she says. “We should brace for impact.”