Better safeguards needed for secondary ticket sales ahead of Vancouver, Toronto FIFA games: federal minister

Editor’s note: A previous version of this story had implied the federal minister was criticizing the size of Canada’s stadiums and discouraging people from attending games in person. In fact, he had expressed concern about customer safeguards for resale tickets and wasn’t referring to stadium size.

As excitement builds towards next summer’s FIFA World Cup matches in Vancouver and Toronto, one federal minister is expressing concerns over secondary ticket sales.

When asked about whether he expects ticket resale prices to be excessive due to a limited number of tickets — in part because of the relatively smaller size of the venues at Canada’s games compared to those in the U.S. — Adam van Koeverden, Canada’s Secretary of State for Sport and a former Olympian, says better safeguards are needed for customers — not just for FIFA but across the board.

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He said soccer fans can still enjoy the event, even if they can’t get there in person.

“The best way to enjoy the World Cup next year is probably going to be in a public area, because Canada’s stadiums are actually very small,” he said in the halls of Parliament.

“We need a large-format stadium. Most college and university cities in the United States have a bigger college stadium than the biggest stadium in Canada.”

The facilities in some American host cities are larger than BC Place and BMO Field in Toronto, but previous host cities have had smaller venues.

Stadiums in Qatar, which hosted the last World Cup in 2022, and in Russia in 2018, had far less capacity compared to BC Place, which holds more than 54,000 people. Meanwhile, BMO Field will expand for its six matches with an additional 17,756 seats, bringing capacity up to 45,736.

In making the comments, van Koeverden said, “The best part of hosting FIFA isn’t necessarily being in the stadium. It’s the vibe. It’s going to be an amazing vibe in Canada.”

Carney heads to Washington

Prime Minister Mark Carney is going to Washington, D.C. on Friday for the first time since his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office two months ago, and for the first time since Trump called off trade negotiations after claiming offence taken to anti-tariff ads funded by Ontario Premier Doug Ford.

The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) says Carney will attend the final draw by FIFA, in which teams will be placed into four “pots,” according to global ranking and host status, then drawn into 12 groups.

“Next summer, Canada will open our doors to the world to host the FIFA World Cup – one of the most anticipated sporting events on the planet. This is our moment to unite around our team, our fans, our flag – and show the world everything Canada has to offer,” Carney said in a statement.

Carney is also planning to meet with Trump and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum while the three leaders are attending the event, given the three countries are co-hosting the FIFA World Cup.

The PMO says the meeting with Trump will be at the Kennedy Center and is expected to be brief. It’s expected they’ll discuss the United States-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) agreement.

The agreement is key to Canada’s economy at a time when debt is adding up quickly, and the country needs to stabilize.

As for costs, B.C. will be forking over anywhere between $532 and $624 million to host seven matches in Vancouver beginning next June.

—With files from Glen McGregor

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