The reconstruction of Vancouver's BC Place stadium is necessary for the city to host the 2026 World Cup. It is still unclear, however, how much the work will cost and how these plans relate to FIFA's actual requirements.

BC Place refurbishment needed, administration says…

After a major renovation in 2011 worth more than C$500 million, Vancouver's BC Place stadium is in for another refresh. The list of planned work on the 40-year-old stadium includes the creation of new VIP lounges and Hospitality boxes, the redevelopment of food and beverage areas, restrooms; and the installation of more lifts. In addition, the facility is to be more accessible to visitors.

In an interview, British Columbia’s Minister of Sport and Tourism Lana Popham fully endorsed the plans deeming the work necessary not only for the World Cup, but also for other major events in the future. BC Place is a huge attraction, a huge facility for the province. Significant events are held there because of its size. If we had anything smaller, we wouldn't have been able to attract Taylor Swift here, Popham said.

The B.C. Pavillon Corp., which manages the venue has put out requests for proposals to potential consultants on the matter. The desired contractor must have completed at least one project valued at no less than C$50 million within the last decade. This is one of the many requirements submitted by BC PavCo.

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...but specific costs and FIFA requirements still unknown

As assured by BC Place senior marketing and communications manager Jennifer McKenzie, all of the improvements and renovations listed are either required by FIFA or desired by the 'Accessible British Columbia Act'. PavCo is working closely with the world football federation and other partners to determine the necessary needs and to centre them with responsible financial management, McKenzie wrote in a statement.

This, however, has not convinced some of the public, who accuse the company of failing to provide the exact amounts the province will have to pay contractors out of its budget. When asked by local reporters about the cost of the renovation, PavCo representatives did not respond, explaining that the plans and budget had not yet been finalised. The only available indicator is the provincial administration's preliminary calculations from last year. At that time, the cost of hosting the 2026 World Cup games was calculated at a quarter of a billion Canadian dollars, of which 40 million would cover the renovation of BC Place.

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The matter is of concern to the director of the government-independent Federation of Canadian Taxpayers for British Columbia, Carson Binda, who has openly criticised the government for its lack of financial accountability. They haven’t released dollar figures of how much the renovations to BC Place are going to cost, they won’t show us any financial projections other than a vague, ‘It’s going to bring in a billion dollars worth of revenue’, he said. FIFA, after hosting the World Cup, makes off like bandits and the host countries are left with a massive tab, said Binda.

It is not yet known how many championship games will be awarded to Vancouver. The World Cup will be hosted by 15 other cities in Canada, the United States and Mexico. To find out more, take a look at our article detailing all the 2026 World Cup hosts. Also watch the video on our channel: