Premier John Horgan confirmed as much at a press conference on Tuesday
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It looks like Vancouver is back in play as one of the cities to host the World Cup in 2026.
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Premier John Horgan confirmed as much at a press conference on Tuesday.
“We have been approached by Soccer Canada and officials, by way of Soccer Canada through to FIFA, to revisit the question of whether Vancouver could be a host city for the 2026 World Cup,” Horgan said.
The premier had hinted the province was reconsidering its opposition to being a host city last summer, three years after BC chose to drop out of the bid citing unrealistic expectations from FIFA, world soccer’s governing body.
Back then, Horgan said the province was in “a totally different place” from 2018, when Vancouver dropped out as a potential host because he “wouldn’t sign a blank check” to FIFA.
Horgan’s reversal was about the pandemic and the economy, he explained last summer.
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“We are coming out of a global pandemic. Our tourism sector has been buffeted perhaps more than any other sector over the past 16 months,” he said in July.
“And the prospect of inviting the world to Vancouver in 2026 all of a sudden takes on a whole new meaning — not just for those passionate about soccer but those that would want to see an opportunity to reacquaint the world with the splendor of British Columbia and particularly Vancouver.”
Canada will be part of a three-nation host of the World Cup for the first time, with cities in the US and Mexico also getting games. Since the bid was launched, Montreal has dropped out of consideration as a Canadian host, while Edmonton has come under some scrutiny.
— With files from Patrick Johnston