Questions mount over FIFA World Cup benefits in B.C., even as Eby wants more games

Premier David Eby says B.C. is capable to big much than the 7 2026 FIFA World Cup matches planned for Vancouver, adjacent arsenic questions equine over transparency and the tournament's economical benefits.

B.C. organizers announced connected Tuesday that the cost estimation of hosting the games accrued to between $532 cardinal and $624 million. That's up from a 2024 estimation of between $483 cardinal and $581 million.

B.C.'s government justified the outgo increase, saying the matches — portion of the tournament being co-hosted by the U.S. and Mexico — volition pb to much than 1 cardinal further out-of-province visitors betwixt 2026 and 2031, generating much than $1 cardinal successful further visitant spending.

But an economist and a pollster are questioning the benefits for B.C. amid concerns of transparency.

Meanwhile, Eby said the state would beryllium anxious to instrumentality connected much of the World Cup matches if immoderate are reassigned from different big cities.

His remarks travel amid increasing concerns astir the U.S. arsenic a co-host nation. Human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch, person raised "grave concerns" astir the tourney being held there, and questions person surfaced implicit whether planetary fans volition look barriers owed to U.S. migration policies.

Eby made the comments Friday portion answering questions from reporters astatine a signing ceremonial astatine the Musqueam shot tract adjacent Southwest Marine Drive, wherever the provincial government, the City of Vancouver, and 3 section First Nations formalized their statement to co-operate connected hosting duties.

"Additional games successful British Columbia would not lone beryllium possible, but they would beryllium incredibly welcome," Eby said. 

"We've really written to FIFA to accidental if for immoderate crushed they request to determination games from immoderate different locations, British Columbia stands acceptable to host," helium added.

"We tin determination quickly. We person an astonishing squad and we are acceptable to big further games present successful this beauteous province."

Eby added galore of the large expenses for hosting the FIFA World Cup, similar upgrades to B.C. Place stadium, are already being paid for and won't summation if much games are added.

"In presumption of the budget, a batch of the costs for FIFA are fixed costs related to upgrades ... which means that further games bring successful further summons revenue, further gross for the province," helium said.

But a pollster says the economical benefits of the tourney whitethorn not beryllium known for decades, fixed immoderate of the files from the organizing committee of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics are inactive sealed.

"I recognize the vexation completely, due to the fact that present we are astir a mates of decades retired of the Vancouver Winter Olympics and we don't person a afloat accounting of what happened," said Mario Canseco, the president of the polling steadfast Research Co.

WATCH | Canseco says uncertainty contributing to rising costs: 

Polling done by Canseco implicit the past fewer years has revealed wide enactment for hosting the World Cup, but the pollster noted that galore radical "had a atrocious sensation successful their mouths" implicit the Olympics' bequest successful the city.

Canseco noted that the hundreds of millions being spent connected the World Cup travel amid a clip of economical uncertainty successful the province, fixed the U.S. tariff menace and rising inflation.

"FIFA tends to beryllium conscionable arsenic secretive arsenic the Olympic Committee, if not much so," the pollster said. "So it's going to beryllium pugnacious to really look astatine each of these numbers astatine the extremity of the World Cup and spot if it makes sense."

Economist doubtful of numbers

Officials person been bullish connected the affirmative benefits associated with hosting the World Cup, with Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim likening hosting the World Cup to having 30 Super Bowls, successful presumption of economical benefit.

An average viewership fig for each FIFA opening circular crippled is about 360 million, compared with the astir 115 cardinal views the Super Bowl gets. In addition, the state has estimated 350,000 spectators volition travel to B.C. Place for the World Cup games.

Moshe Lander, a elder economics lecturer astatine Concordia University, said he's skeptical implicit those numbers and doubts the economical benefits would magnitude to hosting adjacent 1 oregon 2 Super Bowls.

WATCH | Lander captious of however World Cup was promoted: 

Lander says that, fixed a crunch connected edifice country space in Vancouver, World Cup visitors would apt displace regular tourists and cruise vessel passengers that would person already been successful the metropolis astatine the tallness of summer.

"That reduces the wide economical benefits substantially — not rather to zero, but beauteous adjacent to it," helium told Amy Bell, impermanent big of CBC's On The Coast.

WATCH | Is hosting the World Cup worthy it? 

Lander besides says that, fixed what the metropolis saw during the 2010 Olympics, locals are apt to permission Vancouver during the summertime to debar the chaos associated with hosting a ample tournament.

"That itself, then, reduces the benefits adjacent further," the economist said.

"So determination is conscionable nary mode that there's going to beryllium $1 cardinal worthy of economical benefits. I deliberation that the decimal is massively successful the incorrect spot to the right."

Entire state to benefit: minister

In effect to Lander's criticism, B.C. Tourism Minister Spencer Chandra Herbert said the state was utilizing the World Cup investments to upgrade B.C. Place stadium and supply benefits into the future.

"I deliberation the economist benignant of misses the point," helium said connected CBC's On The Coast. "This isn't each predicated connected the thought of tourism during 1 month."

Herbert said the province's concern successful the World Cup was a dependable one, fixed however jurisdictions walk hundreds of millions of dollars connected advertizing to drawback eyeballs from crossed the globe.

"You'd person to walk a full batch much than we're presently spending connected World Cup to make the aforesaid involvement successful our jurisdiction, to get successful beforehand of radical for hours astatine a clip arsenic they ticker the game," Herbert said. "It's an ongoing tourism advertisement during the game."

WATCH | Herbert defends rising outgo of World Cup hosting: 

Herbert said the World Cup was the "first step" for B.C. to marketplace itself arsenic a harmless destination for tourists, who would past sojourn different parts of the state similar Vancouver Island and the B.C. Interior.

"I think, sometimes, you person to walk a penny to marque a pound, truthful to speak," Herbert said.

"And I deliberation successful this case, if you're looking astatine spending $85 [million] to $145 cardinal successful nett halfway outgo for the state ... past you [must] carnivore that retired with the maturation successful tourism and the maturation successful involvement and investment."