The FIFA World Cup is one of the biggest global sporting events and Vancouver is a host city for the 2026 edition! The tournament runs from June 11 to July 19.
Vancouver hosts seven games at this summer’s tournament, between June 13 and July 7. That includes two of Canada’s three group stage games! All seven games will be played inside BC Place Stadium in downtown Vancouver. There are plenty of places to go for watch parties and other fun soccer-related events around the Lower Mainland.
World Cup Groups and Schedule
Canada automatically qualified for the 2026 tournament as hosts (as did Mexico and the United States). Placed in Group B, Canada (ranked 30th in the world in the most recent FIFA Rankings) will face off against Bosnia and Herzegovina (64th), Qatar (56th) and Switzerland (19th).
The 2026 World Cup features 12 groups of four teams each. Everyone plays each of the other three teams in their group once during the opening stage of the tournament. The top two teams in each group, as well as the eight best third place teams, advance to the single-elimination knockout stage, beginning with the Round of 32.
Canada’s first game is against Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 12 in Toronto. That game begins at noon (PT). Their other two group stage games are in Vancouver, against Qatar (3:00 pm) on June 18 and Switzerland (noon) on June 24. Every game of the tournament is broadcast on TSN and CTV.
Vancouver and the 2026 World Cup
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is a special one for a number of reasons. For one, it’s the first time that Canada has ever been a host for the tournament! It’s also the first edition of the World Cup to be hosted by three different countries (Canada, Mexico and the United States), and the first one to feature 48 teams. This year is the first time the tournament has expanded since 1998, when it went from 24 teams to 32.
This is just the third time that Canada has ever competed at the World Cup, following appearances in 1986 and 2022. Argentina enter as the defending champions having won the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
Vancouver is one of 16 host cities for the tournament. While just seven of the 104 games will be played in the city, there will be watch parties and other events happening throughout the entire World Cup! That includes the official FIFA Fan Festival at the PNE, as well as plenty of other events including Richmond Celebrates Soccer, Soccer in the Square at UBC, and many more.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup runs from June 11 to July 19. The home for all of Vancouver’s World Cup games is BC Place. The stadium is also home to the Vancouver Whitecaps and BC Lions. BC Place is located at 777 Pacific Boulevard, and seats close to 55,000 people!
Other Games at BC Place
BC Place hosts five group stage games in total. In addition to the two Canada games there are also three games from Group G (which features Belgium, Egypt, Iran and New Zealand). There are then two knockout round games. The full schedule for the games in Vancouver is as follows:
- Saturday, June 13: Australia vs Turkey at 9:00 pm
- Thursday, June 18: Canada vs Qatar at 3:00 pm
- Sunday, June 21: New Zealand vs Egypt at 6:00 pm
- Wednesday, June 24: Canada vs Switzerland at noon
- Friday, June 26: New Zealand vs Belgium at 8:00 pm
- Thursday, July 2: Switzerland vs Algeria at 8:00 pm (Round of 32)
- Tuesday, July 7: Switzerland vs Colombia at 1:00 pm (Round of 16)
Click FIFA Tickets for the official ticket-buying platform for the World Cup games.
Major Watch Parties and Events
The World Cup is always a major event, but even more so this year in Vancouver when it’s happening in our own back yard! Just about every bar and pub will be showing at least some of the games as they happen. There are plenty of other events taking place throughout the tournament as well.
FIFA Fan Festival
One of the biggest such events is the FIFA Fan Festival at the PNE Fairgrounds. It’s Vancouver’s official FIFA-run event (of which there is one in every host city). The centrepiece of the festival is the brand-new Freedom Mobile Arch amphitheatre, which seats 10,000 people.
Every game of the World Cup will be shown on giant screens. There will also be plenty of live music, food vendors and other entertainment happening across each day of the tournament. Entrance is free, although there are also paid tickets available that guarantee main stage seats along with some other perks. For the more popular games (like ones where Canada is playing) there’s a chance that some people might not get a seat or be turned away entirely depending on how many people show up.
Richmond Celebrates Soccer
The FIFA Fan Festival isn’t the only place to go for big events, with the Richmond Celebrates Soccer series providing a great place to go for World Cup fun this summer. Unlike the above festival, Richmond Celebrates Soccer doesn’t just happen at one venue. It’s also not an everyday thing.
The series begins with the World Soccer Day Kick-Off Event which runs from 10:00 am to 8:30 pm at the Richmond Olympic Oval on June 12. The opening games for both Canada and the United States will be shown on a big screen, with other activities including a 3 vs 3 soccer tournament, a foosball tournament, live music, BBQ, and plenty more.
The other “signature event” in the series is on July 19 at Aberdeen Neighbourhood Park. That’s the day of the World Cup Final! In between there are nine “community events” at nine different venues and on nine different days. All of them feature fun activities in addition to watch parties. All 11 events are free to attend.
Click Richmond Celebrates Soccer for more details.
Soccer in the Square at UBC
Held at Norman Mackenzie Square in UBC’s Wesbrook Village, Soccer in the Square is another free way to enjoy watching the World Cup with other members of the local community. Nearly every game will be broadcast on outdoor screens. The event is a little more laidback than the two above with less extra entertainment and activities.
There will still be a festive atmosphere, however, and the viewing area is located right in between various restaurants and cafés for convenient access to food and beverage options. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own chairs, as while there will be some seats provided they are likely to fill up each day. Pets are welcome as long as they’re leashed.
For more details click Soccer in the Square at UBC.
Surrey Soccer Fan Zones
The city of Surrey has four separate fan zones for people to gather and enjoy the games. The main one is at Surrey Civic Plaza (conveniently located next to Surrey Central SkyTrain Station). It’s also the only location that will show every game. While some days are designated as “match only”, most days also include live music and other entertainment between games.
Beginning on July 1, the Cloverdale Agriplex will also broadcast the games, providing a fully indoor watch party option. For the semifinals, third-place game and final, there will be a third watch party set up at South Surrey Athletic Park with large tents, seats and a big screen. Holland Park will also host watch parties for the third-place game and final on July 18 and 19, the same days that the park is home to the Surrey Fusion Festival.
Check out Surrey Soccer Fan Zones to learn more.
Coquitlam’s Summer of Soccer
Coquitlam is another Metro Vancouver municipality putting on some big World Cup events. Percy Perry Stadium will host events on both June 12 and July 19 for Canada’s first game and for the World Cup Final, with the big screen viewings complemented by various fun activities and food vendors.
There are also two other free public events. One of them is at Blue Mountain Park on June 24 (for Canada’s last group stage game against Switzerland). The other is at Town Centre Park on July 1 (which will be part of the city’s Canada Day celebrations).
Click Coquitlam Summer of Soccer for the full details.
More Places to Enjoy the Games
While the events listed above are some of the biggest World Cup-related gatherings on offer, there are plenty of other places to enjoy watching the games. Below are some other good options. All of them are free to attend unless noted otherwise.
- Canada Soccer House – The Shipyards District in North Vancouver hosts watch parties on select days throughout the tournament. There is live music and other activities, including a fireworks/drone show on June 12.
- Granville Island – Nearly every game will be shown on a big screen at Granville Island, with extra entertainment on the first two and last two days of the tournament as well as on July 1.
- Delta Soccer Fan Zones – Ladner Village will broadcast every game of the World Cup. Some days have extra fun like movie nights, foosball tournaments and Zumba classes.
- Game Days at South Flats – Located near VCC-Clark SkyTrain Station at 1155 East 6th Avenue in Vancouver, South Flats hosts watch parties on seven days between June 11 and 21. Extra activations include a beer garden, kids zone, live music and more.
- Grouse Mountain – There’s a special, one-day only watch party event on top of Grouse Mountain for the England vs Panama game on June 27. Tickets sold out quickly but more may become available.
- Game On Maple Ridge – The city of Maple Ridge is hosting seven watch party events over the course of the World Cup. They’re split between Memorial Peace Park and the ACT Arts Centre.
- Granville Street – Granville Street will be closed to vehicle traffic between West Georgia and Davie for the entirety of the World Cup. This is to allow for additional patio seating, soccer-themed installations and more of a festive atmosphere.
- Canyon Kick-Off – North Vancouver’s Capilano Suspension Bridge is decorated with flags and a hanging soccer ball. The site also has soccer-themed photo opportunities and activities.
Other Information
For more information on the tournament and all official FIFA-related news, check out the FIFA World Cup Vancouver website.
To learn about Vancouver’s local soccer teams, see our articles about the Vancouver Whitecaps and Vancouver Rise FC.