Vancouver is set to get a tourism boost from hosting World Cup games in 2026, but experts say fans and planners should not be overly optimistic in their projections.
104 Matches. 16 Cities. 🇨🇦🇲🇽🇺🇸
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) February 6, 2024
The FULL #FIFAWorldCup 26 schedule! ⤵️
This morning at CTV talking all things FIFA World Cup with @SamAdekugbe ! So excited to get the buzz going for the world's biggest event coming right here to BC Place. Vancouver got a lucky seven matches for 2026, including a knock-out round of 16! ⚽️🎉 #WeAre26 pic.twitter.com/hdUt8XXh9S
— Mayor Ken Sim (@KenSimCity) February 5, 2024
Destination BC is already projecting the tournament could generate 1-billion-dollars for the province's tourism sector, factoring both the games in Vancouver and the impact in the following five years.
Moshe Lander, a senior lecturer in economics at Concordia University in Montreal, says Vancouver may not get a huge profile boost from the World Cup given the city has already hosted major international sporting events.
FIFA announced on Sunday that Vancouver and Toronto will host a combined total of 13 games.