Hosting Vancouver's FIFA World Cup games could cost half a billion dollars

Hosting seven games in Vancouver during the 2026 FIFA World Cup could cost more than half a billion dollars, according to an updated estimate provided Tuesday.

Hosting seven games in Vancouver during the 2026 FIFA World Cup could cost more than half a billion dollars, according to an updated estimate provided Tuesday.

The "core cost" of hosting is now pegged at between $483 million and $581 million – approximately double the original range provided when Vancouver was named a host city two years ago.

Inflationary pressures and updated FIFA hosting requirements contributed to the increased costs, B.C.'s Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport said.

Officials also originally anticipated hosting five games in Vancouver, not seven.

The government is expecting to offset much of the expenses with $116 million in federal funding, increased tax revenue over several years, and other sources, putting the net cost at between $100 million and $145 million, according to the latest estimate.

"These seven matches are expected to attract more than 350,000 soccer fans," Tourism Minister Lana Popham said Tuesday. "These fans are going to be eating, they're going to be staying, and they're going to be exploring British Columbia – before, during and after this tournament."

The ministry is also anticipating more than one million additional out-of-province visitors over a five-year period following the World Cup, with up to $1 billion in additional tourism spending.