The club, coming off a dazzling 2025 campaign but with financial viability questions remaining, opens the regular season Saturday at B.C. Place, playing host to Real Salt Lake<\/p>\n
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Published Feb 19, 2026 \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 6 minute read<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n You can save this article by registering for free here<\/a>. Or sign-in<\/a> if you have an account.<\/p>\n Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page.<\/p>\n In the end, we will be able to gauge this Vancouver Whitecaps season on how much Axel Schuster is asked to speak about the standings and how much he\u2019s asked to speak about the balance sheet.\u00a0<\/p>\n Advertisement 2<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. 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Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events.Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account.The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.<\/p>\n REGISTER \/ SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.<\/p>\n THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an Account<\/p>\n or<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n The Whitecaps open the MLS regular season Saturday at B.C. Place<\/a>, playing host to Real Salt Lake. They set a plethora of club records last year, with the most notable being shortest-ever off-season \u2014 the Whitecaps were playing in the MLS Cup 2025 finale a mere 76 days ago, losing 3-1 to Lionel Messi\u2019s Inter Miami CF in Fort Lauderdale on Dec. 6.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Schuster, who is the Whitecaps\u2019 sporting director, has managed to keep the core of the roster together, with precious few changes. The Whitecaps look like a contender once more. They are No. 3 in the MLS league-produced power rankings<\/a> to begin the campaign, trailing Inter Miami and LAFC, respectively.<\/p>\n Schuster is also the club\u2019s CEO, putting him in charge of the Whitecaps\u2019 business side. That\u2019s a more complex conversation.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Whitecaps owners, led by Greg Kerfoot, announced on Dec. 13, 2024 that the club was up for sale<\/a>. If you\u2019re keeping score at home, that was 434 days ago, and there are no signs of a resolution.<\/p>\n Advertisement 3<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Schuster has been adamant throughout that the master plan is to remain in Vancouver, and Kerfoot will stay on if new investors will come on board. Along the way, Schuster and MLS commissioner Don Garber have said repeatedly that the team can\u2019t make the business model work as a tenant at provincially owned B.C. Place<\/a> \u2014 Garber\u2019s all-time favourite word might be \u201cuntenable\u201d \u2014 and the Whitecaps and the City of Vancouver entered an agreement on Dec. 11 to\u00a0negotiate through 2026 on a new stadium and entertainment district at Hastings Park.<\/p>\n That story has gone quiet for the time being, and Schuster said in a media call on Feb. 5 that the club had signed a one-year deal to play<\/a> out of B.C. Place this season. PavCo, which is the Crown corporation that operates the dome, will give the estimated $1.5 million the building makes off soccer back to the Whitecaps as part of the deal.<\/p>\n Schuster initially said that the province\u2019s offer \u201cisn\u2019t the game changer that is needed for long-term sustainability,\u201d but walked that back days later, calling it \u201cone step to a solution,\u201d before adding, \u201cI think it needs 25 to 30 more of these little steps, or it needs a few big steps to really get into safe water.\u201d<\/p>\n Canucks Report<\/p>\n Thanks for signing up!<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Advertisement 4<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n This Whitecaps\u2019 season has a chance to be magical. It has a chance to be messy. It could be both at the same time.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a look ahead. You can find the Whitecaps schedule here<\/a>.<\/p>\n FIVE STORYLINES TO WATCH<\/p>\n IS THIS THE LAST YEAR FOR THE WHITECAPS IN VANCOUVER?<\/p>\n As long as there\u2019s no long-term deal on the books to stay the option to sell to an American owner, the team is in play.\u00a0<\/p>\n The MLS is at 30 teams. There\u2019s a school of thought that they might expand to 32 at some point, but likely won\u2019t go past that. And with Forbes this week listing five MLS clubs with valuations of at least $1 billion<\/a> \u2014 up from three teams last year and with Inter Miami\u2019s $1.35 billion leading the way this time around \u2014 there could be a deep-pocketed group out there who sees the league as a growing enterprise and would rather buy an existing club and relocate it than pay an expansion fee to get one.<\/p>\n San Diego FC, which debuted last year, were the latest expansion team and they paid a $500 million fee to join MLS. Forbes this week listed the Whitecaps at a $445 million valuation, which was No. 29 in the league. Only CF Montreal, at $440 million, was lower.\u00a0<\/p>\n Advertisement 5<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n These valuation exercises are just guesses. The Whitecaps are truly worth whatever someone is willing to pay for them. But, for this case, we\u2019ll take the Forbes\u2019 math at face value. They state that they \u201cexamined recent transaction data, reviewed publicly available financial information and spoke to more than 60 team executives, owners, investment bankers and industry insiders\u201d to come up with their MLS team numbers, but also made it clear that \u201call published figures are Forbes estimates.\u201d<\/p>\n They had the Whitecaps bringing in $46 million in revenue last season. By contrast, Forbes had Inter Miami bringing in $200 million.<\/p>\n Schuster has shied away from saying how much money the Whitecaps are losing per year, but has maintained the club is $40 million in revenue behind teams in the middle of the pack in that category.<\/p>\n It\u2019s possible to read too much into the fact that the Whitecaps inked only a one-year extension with PavCo. The FIFA World Cup taking over the building for so much of the summer complicates matters.<\/p>\n Advertisement 6<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n But it\u2019s clear that it is going to take a multi-pronged approach to have a chance to make things work here. There\u2019s talk about finding a title sponsor for B.C. Place<\/a> and the Whitecaps getting a share of that. They will need to find other support from the corporate community, too.<\/p>\n HOW GOOD COULD THIS TEAM BE THIS SEASON?<\/p>\n Midfielder Ali Ahmed went to Norwich City on a transfer, forward Jayden Nelson was traded to Austin FC, and forward Daniel Rios signed with CF Montreal as a free agent, but the majority of the team that tallied club records in MLS regular-season play for wins (18), goals scored (66), and goal difference (plus-28) is back.<\/p>\n And the Whitecaps are slated to get a full season out of Thomas M\u00fcller, the midfielder who joined the Whitecaps in August after a storied 25-year career with Bayern Munich.<\/p>\n M\u00fcller is 36, but looked like he still has plenty of tread left on the tires last season with Vancouver. He had seven goals in seven regular season games.<\/p>\n Newcomers of note for Vancouver include forward Bruno Caicedo, a 21-year-old from Ecuador who Schuster pegged as a \u201cthreat in transition,\u201d when he was acquired via transfer from Ecuadorian club Barcelona SC, and forward Cheikh Sabaly, a 26-year-old from Senegal that Schuster called an \u201cathletic, dynamic attacking player\u201d when he was brought in with a transfer from French side FC Metz.<\/p>\n Advertisement 7<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n For what it\u2019s worth, the MLS website had 15 insiders predict the 2026 MLS Cup finalists<\/a>, and the Whitecaps didn\u2019t receive a single vote. Ten folks picked Inter Miami to repeat as champions, while another three had them losing in the championship match. The Whitecaps did receive a single vote to win the regular season crown, though.<\/p>\n HOW MUCH CAN A FULL YEAR OF M\u00dcLLER HELP THE BRAND?<\/p>\n M\u00fcller\u2019s soccer skills are well documented. He\u2019s also a one-man marketing firm, with his outgoing personality shining through on social media. He has his own website<\/a>. He brings eyeball to the product, and seems to be more than willing to lean into the aspect.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m \u2018present\u2019 everywhere I am. That\u2019s how I live my life,\u201d he told Postmedia last year<\/a>.<\/p>\n He\u2019ll be crucial both on and off the pitch this year for Vancouver.<\/p>\n HOW MUCH WILL RYAN GAULD PLAY?<\/p>\n The Whitecaps had massive success on the pitch last year, but it\u2019s not like everything fell in place for them along the way. That includes the fact that Gauld, the team\u2019s celebrated captain, made just 15 appearances and five starts due to left knee trouble.\u00a0<\/p>\n Advertisement 8<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n The club then announced Jan. 27 that the 30-year-old midfielder had undergone a successful arthroscopic debridement procedure on that same knee, but the hope is that he will return to the lineup sometime in April.<\/p>\n \u201cFollowing recent consultation with a specialist, everyone agreed that this was the best course of action at this time. We will continue to closely monitor his ongoing recovery,\u201d Schuster said then.\u00a0<\/p>\n WHAT COULD THE WORLD CUP MEAN TO THE WHITECAPS BUSINESS?<\/p>\n The MLS season pauses May 25 to July 16 to coincide with the World Cup. B.C. Place gets seven games, including a pair of group stage matches for the Canadian side<\/a>.<\/p>\n Soccer will be front and centre in the city like it rarely has. The Whitecaps need to pounce on that. They need find ways to parlay that into a benefit for them.<\/p>\n @SteveEwen<\/p>\n SEwen@postmedia.com<\/a><\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n Vancouver Whitecaps open CONCACAF Champions Cup run with 0-0 draw vs. C.S. Cartagines<\/p>\n![\"Vancouver](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/cp174998794_298728789.jpg\")
Vancouver Whitecaps’ Thomas Muller (13) celebrates his goal against the Philadelphia Union, with Vancouver Whitecaps’ Giuseppe Bovalina (27) during the second half of an MLS soccer match in Vancouver, on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025. Photo by THE CANADIAN PRESS \/Ethan CairnsArticle content<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/20.6.2\/websites\/images\/identity\/logo-identity-vp.svg\"){kind=logo}
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Thomas M\u00fcller of Vancouver Whitecaps FC is checked on by teammates during the conference semifinal against Los Angeles Football Club at B.C. Place Nov. 22. Axel Schuster and MLS commissioner Don Garber have said repeatedly that the team can\u2019t make the business model work as a tenant at provincially owned B.C. Place. Photo by Rich Lam \/Getty Images<\/p>\n![\"Canucks](\"https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/20.6.2\/websites\/images\/newsletters\/icon-vs-canucksReport.svg\"\/){kind=icon}
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Ali Ahmed of the Vancouver Whitecaps FC runs with the ball during the Audi 2025 MLS Cup Final match between Inter Miami CF and Vancouver Whitecaps FC at Chase Stadium on December 06, 2025 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Midfielder Ahmed went to Norwich City on a transfer. Photo by Elsa \/Getty Images<\/p>\n![\"Vancouver](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/69969ceba2c676a891495e7ajpeg.jpg\")
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