The province says revenue will balance out most of the expenses but admits B.C. is set to lose $114 million as a result of hosting duties
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B.C. and Canadian taxpayers could be on the hook for almost three-quarters of a billion dollars to host the seven World Cup matches in Vancouver this summer.
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And not all experts are convinced about the economic benefits the province insists will offset those costs.
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Altogether, the province and the City of Vancouver could have to pay as much as $729 million to host the games, up from the $685 million estimate last June.
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Sport Minister Anne Kang and Jobs Minister Ravi Kahlon said Friday they expect revenue of between $595 million and $615 million. Some $216 million is federal tax dollars being provided by Ottawa, the rest is from the hotel tax imposed in 2023, revenue from the FIFA fan festival and the City of Vancouver.
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“These updated projections reflect our commitment to careful planning and responsible use of public funds,” said Kang. “At the same time, the economic benefits remain strong, and, as well, the opportunities to open new doors for trade, investment, and business growth.”
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Of the expected revenue, the $216 million from Ottawa includes $116 million from Sport Canada and $100 million to help cover the projected security costs of $242 million.
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The province says total costs could range from a low of $685 million to a high of $729 million. In comparison, the budgeted cost for Toronto to host six matches is projected to be $380 million, including money from the City of Toronto, Ontario and the federal government.
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Including federal funding, B.C.’s estimated cost to host each match is $104 million, well above the $63 million each game is budgeted to cost in Toronto.
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In total, B.C. is predicting a net cost to provincial taxpayers — after offsetting revenue is subtracted — of up $114 million, actually a reduction from the $145 million projected in June 2025.
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The province is also counting on an additional $1 billion in GDP between 2026 and 2031 as a result of increased tourism and $200 million in tax revenue.
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But professor Jarrett Vaughan at the UBC Sauder School of Business cautioned the province hasn’t always been good at projecting the benefits of a major tournament.
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This was the case with the 2010 Winter Olympics, with the $1.9 billion in revenue the province received offsetting the direct operating costs of hosting the games, but not the additional $5 billion that was spent on infrastructure as part of the games, according to the organizing committee for the Vancouver Olympics.
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Vaughan said that the current government’s seeming lack of ability to manage finances also bodes ill, with B.C. already projecting a $13.3 billion deficit for this budgetary year.
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“The root of the issue is that it’s hard to trust the government that they can actually predict these things. Their budgets are constantly overrun. Capital projects in this province are constantly more expensive than they predict, and they often take longer than they predict,” said Vaughan.
