One-in-five Metro Vancouver residents say the cost will be worth it to host games
July 5, 2024 – Canadian soccer fans are in heaven this week, as Canada prepares to take on Venezuela in the Copa America quarter-finals for the first time in their nation’s history. On the west coast, however, British Columbians casting their eyes to the World Cup in 2026 are seeing the price tag as anything but heavenly.
New data from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute finds B.C. residents three-times as likely to say that the ballooning cost to host seven World Cup games in 2026 is “not worth it”. After the initial cost to the province of around $250 million reportedly doubled 60 per cent of residents and 61 per cent of Metro Vancouverites say the investment to host a portion of the tournament is not worth the price. One-in-five disagree and feel the venture is worthwhile (21%).
The tournament is expected to bring 350,000 visitors to the province, but British Columbians of all ages and income levels are evidently concerned about the cost. The highest concentration of residents saying this investment is “worth it” are men (25%) and those earning more than $100,000 (26%), with a majority across all demographics disagreeing.
About ARI
The Angus Reid Institute (ARI) was founded in October 2014 by pollster and sociologist, Dr. Angus Reid. ARI is a national, not-for-profit, non-partisan public opinion research foundation established to advance education by commissioning, conducting and disseminating to the public accessible and impartial statistical data, research and policy analysis on economics, political science, philanthropy, public administration, domestic and international affairs and other socio-economic issues of importance to Canada and its world.
INDEX
- By region
- By age and gender
- By household income
By region
The 2026 World Cup is fast approaching, with Canada set to host 13 games: six in Toronto and seven in Vancouver. The excitement is building among soccer fans in the country, but there are questions being raised about the significant cost to the provincial, federal and municipal governments. The federal government has committed more than $100 million to each Toronto and Vancouver for hosting the games. In Toronto, the current expectation is that portion of hosting the World Cup will cost $380 million, up from the $300 million the event was expected to cost in 2022. In Vancouver, that portion of the World Cup is expected to cost between $483 million and $581 million, double the cost estimated in 2022.
The World Cup is expected to bring economic benefits – Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim told the Surrey Board of Trade the event is “the equivalent of 30 to 40 Super Bowls”. However, there has been doubt raised by economists that the city will receive a net benefit. The 2010 Vancouver Olympics are perhaps the North Star for organizers, after that venture reportedly broke even, with billions in expenditure counterbalanced by billions in benefits. The 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, hosted alongside a FIFA youth tournament in six cities across the country, including Vancouver, reportedly generated $494 million for the Canadian economy after costing $216 million.
In B.C., three-in-five (60%) believe hosting the World Cup will be “not worth it” for Vancouver. One-in-five (21%) disagree. In Metro Vancouver, a similar ratio of three-to-one believe that the costs of the World Cup are not worth the benefits:
By age and gender
A majority of all demographics believe hosting the World Cup is “not worth it” for Vancouver, but there are more men (25%) than women (16%) who believe the benefits of the event outweigh the cost. There is more uncertainty among 18- to 34-year-olds, but at most a quarter of any age group describe the World Cup as “worth it” for the city:
By household income
Belief in the value of the World Cup for Vancouver is highest among those living in households earning more than $100,000 annually. But a majority of all income brackets believe it is not worth it for Vancouver to host the soccer tournament in 2026.
Notably, politics is not a major factor in whether or not British Columbians believe the World Cup is worth its cost (see detailed tables).
*Smaller sample size, interpret with caution
For detailed results by age, gender, region, education, and other demographics, click here.
For the full release including methodology, click here.
For the questionnaire, click here.
Shachi Kurl, President: 604.908.1693 shachi.kurl@angusreid.org @shachikurl
Dave Korzinski, Research Director: 250.899.0821 dave.korzinski@angusreid.org
