FIFA World Cup to Cost BC Taxpayers At Least $532M, Govt Says
(Image courtesy of CBC)
On Tuesday, the BC government gave an economic update regarding Vancouver’s hosting of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Province projects the total cost for BC, the city of Vancouver, and the BC Pavilion Corporation (PavCo) to be between $532 million to $624 million. This is up from 2024 estimates, which originally had costs in the $483 million to $581 million range. The update further states that revenues, recoveries, and contributions are expected to be within $448 million to $478 million, giving a net cost range of $85 million to $145 million.
Safety and Uncertainty are Cost Drivers
The Province revealed that expenditures increased as a result of new “safety and security and transportation” estimates. The Province also stated that these cost and revenue projections are subject to change as “facility upgrades, operational delivery, safety and security plans, and activities evolve in the final year of preparations.” These could be longer than anticipated construction costs, higher than expected turnout, and/or notable soccer nations playing games at BC Place, such as France or Argentina.
The FIFA World Cup is the first internationally renowned event to take place in Vancouver since the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. The soccer matches will also be 16 and a half years after Vancouver hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics, which were lauded worldwide. Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim, who is a soccer fan himself, has taken pride in the fact that Vancouver will be hosting two of Team Canada’s group-stage games, along with three other group-stage games and two playoff games.
Games are a Test for the Lower Mainland
While the games will provide a glamorous spectacle for tourists and Vancouverites alike, many still fear whether Vancouver can handle such big events, given the city’s history of Stanley Cup Riots. However, public officials have stated that security and public well-being are among the highest priorities.
