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Science World is pictured wrapped as a soccer ball for the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Vancouver, on Sunday, May 24, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns

B.C. World Cup cost estimates spike again, but revenues up too

May 29, 2026 | 12:32 PM

VANCOUVER — The British Columbia government says the cost of hosting World Cup matches in Vancouver has spiked again and could reach $729 million, with even the lowest projection now exceeding the highest estimate from last year.

But it says provincial net hosting costs could go down by more than $30 million due to projected revenue also being higher than previously estimated.

With the first match at BC Place just 15 days away, the province released a new range of total costs on Friday, from $685 million to $729 million, up from $532 million to $624 million last June.

That means the midpoint estimate is up by $129 million, or 22.3 per cent.

The province says in a briefing document that there were “still many unknowns” when the previous estimates were issued almost a year ago, including which countries would play in Vancouver and “evolving FIFA requirements.”

The City of Vancouver and public sector service providers would cover more than half of the total costs, with the rest coming from Crown-owned stadium company PavCo and the province, the document says.

The federal parliamentary budget officer said last week that provincial costs included federal grants, which were estimated at $473 million for both B.C. and Ontario.

Vancouver will host seven games from June 13, while Toronto will host six, kicking off with Canada’s first match on June 12.

The briefing document provided by the B.C. government on Friday emphasizes projected increases in revenues and cost recoveries, which it says bring down estimated net costs.

“Our higher-end estimates of the net core and essential hosting costs have gone down from $145 million in 2025, to $114 million today,” it says.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 29, 2026.

Marissa Birnie, The Canadian Press