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The FIFA World Cup coming to Vancouver was always going to be a bit of a tricky proposition. Many, including us here at the Straight, have wrestled with the implications of the major event coming to the city. 

Inside the stadium and around it, though, it must be said that the energy was electric, as a reported 52,497 fans filled the stadium to witness Australia beat Türkiye 2-0. Many of the spectators in attendance yelled, chanted, and cheered the entire time.  

Here are 10 things that stood out to us about the first-ever World Cup game played on Vancouver soil. 

BC Place looks, sounds, and feels top-notch.

It was hard to think that real grass could make all the difference at BC Place, but it very much did. On both TV screens and in person, the stadium looked beautiful.

BC Place has often been referred to as a big, cavernous cement jungle that offers a less than ideal viewing experience, but the game looked fantastic from all sight lines and the view, inside and on the broadcasts, was a big step from how it is during Lions and Whitecaps games, it must be said. It also seems a bit puzzling now that the Whitecaps would leave this. Although one must remember that it’s very different when the World Cup isn’t here—the natural grass will be torn up and removed the second Vancouver is done hosting games, which is unfortunate. 

The concourse in the stadium was also dressed up fantastically, with a huge influx of TVs everywhere. One wonders if those will stay or not. 

The roof really should have been open 

The one mistake by organizers might have been that the BC Place roof—which cost so much money to make retractable in the first place—couldn’t have been open on one of the nicest days of the year in the city. It really would have added to the atmosphere and feels like a lost opportunity. 

One of the main reasons given by FIFA officials for the closure was that the shadowing from the stadium wouldn’t be ideal. However, it’s hard not to notice that about half of Toronto’s stadium was covered in shadows during the game that city hosted. 

The food prices are what you might expect and it’s still kinda wild

If you’re attending a FIFA World Cup game this summer, you’ll want to grab a bite before hitting the stadium. It’s not to say that prices are exorbitant compared to, say, an NFL game (or even really a Canucks game); it’s just that $5.75 for water and $20 minimum for a beer is not what I would personally like to pay for those beverages. 

Türkiye fans shut down Quebec Street

Blocks away from BC Place, Turikye fans more than made their presence felt. Red smoke floated in the air as Türkiye fans made a few blocks on Quebec Street their unofficial headquarters hours before the game. It was impossible to move up and down the street, and the McDonald’s nearby was an absolute zoo. Its sign was the only recognizable marker in sight. 

But the crowd inside favoured the Australians

There was noticeably more yellow in the stadium than red, especially in a few sections that were reserved for Socceroos fans that looked like a French’s production facility. Every time the Australians did something even moderately good, you heard it from the fans. And the two goals almost blew the roof off the stadium (we wish). 

The song choices were on point

Because soccer games flow without breaks (well, they did before the Hydration Break, aka an obvious attempt to get more ads in), there’s little music played during the actual game. But the production team found ways to get some well-chosen tunes in there. 

At one point, “Mr. Brightside” played on the speakers, and the Australians in attendance took advantage, singing it long after the song was done. “Thunderstruck” was Australia’s goal song, and it rang through the stadium, almost drowning out the insane amount of cheers. Then, of course, there was “Down Under”, the Australians’ probably obvious but also great celebration song after the win. 

Türkiye dominated the game, to no avail

You wouldn’t have known it by the score, but Türkiye (who was favoured) absolutely held almost all of the play. The Australians played well to open the match, but after their first goal, it was all Türkiye. Completed passes at the half were lopsided: Türkiye had over 30; Australia had three. Of course it didn’t matter because one team couldn’t finish their chances and the other did. 

The level of police presence was intense

Down Expo Boulevard, which leads to the main entrance to the stadium, visitors encountered waves of police—seven or eight of them every several metres. It almost felt like you weren’t allowed to go down the street, even as you were supposed to. I’ll tell you, watching someone ride a Lime scooter right through two armed police officers is a tad shocking. On that note…

Are the Lime scooters getting out of hand? 

It’s one thing to ride a Lime scooter down a bike lane or on a street with minimal traffic. It’s quite another to try and do it through a mob of pedestrians. 

Saturday reportedly set a record in terms of Lime usage in the city, and public sentiment among those who don’t use them is starting to turn rather quickly. Add in the fact that almost everyone who takes a Lime leaves the helmet sitting in its holder instead of riding it, and pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers alike are starting to get agitated. It won’t be long before the Lime bell steals the spot of Most Annoying Noise in Vancouver away from General Construction Sounds. 

The crowd outside was rowdy but (mostly) respectful

There were reports of two police incidents, but for the amount of people in the area after the game, that seems low to be honest. The crowds mostly seemed to be rowdy but also respectful of each other, a trend that will hopefully continue for the games here.