British Columbia, and Canada as a whole, might be in deep trouble after they have had to increase their budget and potential spending for the upcoming FIFA competition. Although Vancouver had predicted an exorbitant amount of money required to put on a fantastic 2026 World Cup in Canada, that now seems like pocket change compared to the updated predicted spending.
Does this mean that Vancouver can no longer afford to host the tournament? No, but it could have serious economic and long-term ramifications for the country as a whole due to the new price of hosting the upcoming World Cup on their home soil.
Vancouver Predicts Over $400 Million in Spending
A Seleção are heading to Colombia! 🎟️
A perfect 1️⃣1️⃣ for 1️⃣1️⃣ in appearances at the #U20WWC! 🇧🇷👏
— FIFA Women's World Cup (@FIFAWWC) May 1, 2024
International sporting events are expensive no matter what. The Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand was a huge financial burden for the countries, but the long-term payoff of having ample tourism, people talking about the tournament for months to come, and positive views of the countries ended up being a great result.
Countries that host the Olympics also have to fork over millions, or billions, of dollars to put together the proper infrastructure and support required for media, athletes, and spectators.
Canada is now facing the problem of underestimating their budget on a massive scale. Vancouver has now said that their World Cup budget is DOUBLE what they initially predicted, bringing them to around $422 million in spending for the tournament.
Just two years ago, Canada believed they could throw together the World Cup with the necessary backing for less than $200 million – still a high fee. Now, the initial projected amount has doubled, and Vancouver could be in trouble.
Vancouver is one of 16 potential places to host the North America 2026 World Cup tournament, with the international competition split between Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Out of the 16 proposed spots chosen in Canada, Vancouver, and Toronto were the two cities that came out on top.
What Now for the 2026 World Cup?
Does this mean that the North American bid for the World Cup is now redacted? Perhaps. According to Forbes, Vancouver is relying on governmental funds that will allow it to continue working towards hosting the tournament, including funds from national authorities, tax breaks, and tourism.
Local officials might have to pay up to 1/4 of the cost of the $422 million projection. However, Canada is mainly relying on tourism and ticket sales to cover the rest of the initial investment costs. There should be more than one million people coming to North America to witness the games in person, bringing money to hotels, accommodation options, restaurants, outlets, retail stores, and many other Vancouver businesses.
Still, Vancouver has a lot to think about moving forward. Not only do they have financial concerns, but FIFA imposes strict regulations on all hosting cities that are non-negotiable. The governing body within the city needs to provide police, fire, emergency, and medical services throughout the entire tournament – and that is up to the city’s funding and staffing.
In addition to providing the necessary safety and health measures for the games, cities also need to provide some type of transportation to and from matches for people involved in the competition. This not only includes FIFA officials, teams, referees, club members, and coaches but also traveling fans.
Can Vancouver fork over the additional couple million dollars to keep their bid, or will this be the end of the North American dream to host the 2026 World Cup?
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About the Author
Emma is an athlete and sports fan who currently plays professional soccer. Growing up, she reached a high level in track and field, distance running, and soccer on both club and university teams.
