Vancouver's World Cup begins Saturday, when Australia and Turkiye meet at BC Place in the first of seven tournament matches the city will host between June 13 and July 7. The Group D fixture — the same group as the United States, which opens against Paraguay in Los Angeles on Friday night — kicks off a three-week stretch that city officials have been planning for the better part of a decade.
Canada's men play two of their three group matches at home in Vancouver: against Qatar on June 18 and Switzerland on June 24. BC Place's slate also includes New Zealand against Egypt and Belgium, plus a Round of 32 and a Round of 16 knockout fixture whose participants will be set by group standings.
The province is treating the tournament as a trade fair as much as a sporting event. B.C. Business House opened Friday at the Vancouver Convention Centre, anchoring a series of seven industry showcases timed to match days — tourism first, followed by energy on June 17, life sciences on June 19, mining on June 23, technology on June 25, agriculture and food on June 30, and trade and logistics on July 6.
Jobs and Economic Growth Minister Ravi Kahlon said the program aims to 'turn the excitement of the FIFA World Cup 2026 into lasting economic benefits,' connecting global investors visiting for the matches with local entrepreneurs. The initiative — run with Invest in Canada, Invest Vancouver, the B.C. Chamber of Commerce and Life Sciences BC — slots into the province's 'Look West' strategy of expanding non-US exports and courting private investment.
The showcase events are free, with registration open and dedicated meeting space for business matchmaking at the convention centre throughout the tournament window.
Downtown, preparations have shifted to crowd logistics: transit agencies are adding service around BC Place for Saturday's opener, and fan gatherings are expected to spill well beyond the stadium district as the city hosts its biggest sporting event since the 2010 Winter Olympics.