By: Kaja Antic, Staff Writer
The FIFA World Cup will be hosted by Canada, the US, and Mexico in 2026, with Vancouver hosting seven of the 13 games being played in Canada. Vancouver has had some experience with major international sporting events in recent years, with the 2010 Olympic Winter Games and the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup. However, with mounting concerns about affordability in the region, the decision to host the upcoming World Cup overlooks the needs of locals.
The FIFA World Cup is the most-watched sporting event in the world, and is predicted to generate significant short-term revenue for the City of Vancouver. However, the up-front cost of hosting is difficult to overlook. An estimate from 2022 put the cost between $240 million and $260 million for five games. With an extra two games, plus costs rising across the board, the most recent estimate was nearly double that figure.
If you’re wondering where this money will come from, you’re not the only one. Vancouver taxpayers will be on the hook for funding at least part of this event, though the exact amount is not yet known. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is urging the provincial and municipal governments to be transparent about the tournament’s costs, as it’s questionable whether Vancouver can actually afford this. There is a cost of living crisis across Canada — especially in Vancouver. While some of this financial support is coming from the federal government, there is still some warranted hesitation regarding the high price tag. A recent poll found that 61% of Metro Vancouver residents believe the potential short-term economic benefits are “not worth” the cost.
The World Cup is supposed to help raise tourism profiles for host cities, which can be seen as a worthy investment — though it’s not like Vancouver is hard-pressed for generating tourist interest. The provincially-funded tourism organization Destination BC claims the seven games will generate over $1 billion for the provincial tourism sector during the tournament and the five years following. Officials also estimate that over one million visitors will visit in this time frame, with approximately 350,000 fans arriving for the tournament alone — but where are they all going to stay?
This money would be better spent on the ongoing housing and grocery crises, among other needs.
Vancouver already has a hotel room shortage without accounting for hundreds of thousands of fans wanting to catch some of the World Cup action. Destination Vancouver has warned the demand for hotel rooms during the tournament will “exceed supply,” with no direct plans to address the disparity before 2026. One method Vancouver used in the past to aid in rooming demands was docking cruise ships nearby — though this was only done for security personnel during the 2010 Winter Olympics. The hopes that this tournament will generate mass revenue for the tourism industry can be dashed if said industry is incapable of accommodating these visitors.
The housing crisis is another issue being ignored while the hype for the 2026 World Cup grows. 1,100 housing units were developed in Vancouver’s Olympic Village for the 2010 Olympics. Only 125 — half of what the city originally promised — were affordable housing units. How does that benefit locals? The largest construction projects for the World Cup will be renovations to BC Place and the addition of Fan Festival amenities at the new PNE Amphitheatre. However, we should still worry about Vancouver’s houseless population and what’s to come in the lead-up to the 2026 festivities.
Vancouver mayor Ken Sim has shown no remorse for displacing many in the Downtown Eastside, and while developments for the World Cup aren’t slated for that direct area, there could be drastic consequences for residents in that region. Sim has used the Vancouver Police Department to remove residents from the Downtown Eastside for years, and is now talking about making neighbourhoods “more vibrant” to have a “successful FIFA 2026.” If his idea of success depends on displacing people from their homes, no one should support the city’s decision to host the tournament.
With the cost of living looming heavy over the region, it’s understandable that many are hesitant to fully support the World Cup decision. The event is a massive expenditure, and this money would be better spent on the ongoing housing and grocery crises, among other needs. The city has less than two years before kickoff in June 2026, and with a myriad of issues ahead, this World Cup looks set to cause more chaos than celebration.
