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With three weeks left until the start of the FIFA World Cup, critics are calling on the B.C. government to disclose how much the seven games in Vancouver will cost taxpayers.
New estimates released from Ottawa provide insight into the costs British Columbians may shoulder. A report from the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) put the cost per game at $82 million, estimating the seven Vancouver games would cost a total of $578 million.
Overall, the cost of hosting the games is estimated at more than $1 billion – with about half of that funding from Ottawa, and the rest shared between provincial and municipal governments.
When asked about the estimated cost of hosting the games, B.C. Tourism Minister Anne Kang said the federal estimate is inaccurate and based on B.C.’s estimate from last year.
“I would not take the numbers that the PBO has provided as fact,” she said.
“The report does not account for the ongoing work that we have done to solidify the numbers for contributions, for costs, estimated revenues and benefits.”
Kang declined to provide an updated figure – or say if it will be more or less than the costs reported by the PBO. She said B.C. is still collecting data, and plans to release the updated estimates next week.
The province is set to host seven of the 13 World Cup matches to be played in Canada. A total of 104 games will take place across North America from June 11 to July 19.
Critics say the lack of financial transparency so close to the tournament is unacceptable, and the public needs to be able to hold the government accountable for these costs.
Tourism Minister Anne Kang says B.C. plans to release updated estimates next week. (Dillon Hodgin/CBC News)
Carson Binda, B.C. director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, said it’s difficult to get a sense of how expenses may have ballooned from initial estimates.
“There is no excuse for the B.C. government to be dodging accountability,” he said.
“It certainly looks like the provincial government has handed FIFA a blank cheque signed by the taxpayers. That’s unacceptable, we need accountability and we need answers now.”
B.C. Opposition leader, Vancouver councillor criticize lack of transparency
B.C. Conservative interim leader Trevor Halford said in the legislature Wednesday that there’s no reason that the numbers shouldn’t be available now.
“There is an easy way to clear this up, and it’s for the premier to step in front of the camera and tell us what the number is,” said Halford.
“They know what the number is. They’re waiting till we’re out of session to produce that number.”
He was also critical of the World Cup games and the high security costs that go with them, saying he doesn’t know anyone who has bought a ticket.
Binda was critical of the government spending millions on the event at a time when many in the province are struggling with the cost of living, and said he doesn’t feel residents will see enough of a benefit to justify the expense. One example, he said, are the new lounges at B.C. Place.
“That’s money being shovelled right into an incinerator on outrageous luxuries for Swiss soccer executives that most British Columbians will never get to experience,” said Binda.
Vancouver Coun. Pete Fry expressed frustration that the costs the city will face are still not public, particularly anything significant that was not foreseen in initial estimates.
Coun. Pete Fry is pictured during a council meeting in Vancouver, B.C., on Tuesday, April 15, 2025. He has expressed frustration that the costs the city will face are still not public. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
“I still don’t have a clear reckoning of what exactly the city of Vancouver taxpayers are on the hook for, I think that’s a little disturbing,” Fry said.
“There’s very little we could do to change the outcome except hope for the best.”
He’s also worried that there hasn’t been a significant uptake in hotel room bookings yet, as Destination Vancouver says hotel bookings for June are down 20 per cent compared to the same time last year.
Vancouver host committee declines to provide updated costs, timeline for disclosure
David Harrison, spokesperson for the FIFA World Cup Vancouver Host Committee, said the next financial update will be shared “in the next few weeks,” though declined to provide an exact date.
“The city continues to prioritize responsible cost management while working to ensure long-term benefits for the community,” he said in a statement.
Destination B.C. estimated that the games would result in a boost for Vancouver’s tourism and entertainment industries, including an estimated $1 billion in additional spending from tourists over the next five years.
Harrison also pointed to estimates from 2025, in which B.C. expected the net core provincial cost to host the seven games at $85 million to $145 million, not including potential additional provincial tax revenue.
When asked why B.C. plans to release the updated estimated costs two weeks before the tournament, Kang said the province had waited for Ottawa to confirm how much it would be funding for security. Additionally, she said it is still collecting information from police and other stakeholders, and is waiting to see the final number of teams that may be playing in B.C., amid current geopolitical tensions.
“What we want to do is make sure that when we release these numbers, they are as close to accurate as possible,” she said.