In a statement, the governing body of international football said that both the county and the city of Vancouver have submitted documents to participate in the candidate city process, with BC Place as the proposed stage. “… as well as a recent inspection visit by a FIFA delegation, the governing body of world football has agreed to accept the city’s candidacy,” he said. BC Place belongs to the province. Vancouver could host three to five games if selected, according to previous reports. Toronto and Edmonton are also potential host cities in Canada. Melanie Mark, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sports, told the CBC that the estimated cost of hosting the games was between $ 240 million and $ 260 million. He said FIFA intends to announce the list of successful bidders next month. In 2018, then BC Tourism Minister Lisa Beare said officials considering a bid were unable to specify how much the province is expected to contribute in the cost of hosting. Beare said the terms presented by the commission included FIFA’s ability to unilaterally change the stadium agreement at any time. But Mark said the pandemic had prompted Prime Minister John Horgan to instruct his ministry to support the recovery of tourism and sport from the impact of COVID-19. “We are in a different era,” he said. “People were frozen for two years because of the global health pandemic. And tourism, the arts, culture and sports, people could not get together, they could not celebrate … This is an opportunity to support our economy. and to support jobs, and that is the main goal. “ According to Mark, the financial impact of gaming hosting could reach $ 1 billion by 2029. Last month, Mayor Kennedy Stewart announced that Vancouver would put up to $ 5 million in a provincial bid to bring the 2026 World Cup to the city, more than tripling the $ 1.5 million the city spent to host 2015 Women’s World Cup matches in Vancouver. The 2026 tournament will bring together 48 nations, up from 32 in the 2022 Qatar Men’s World Cup, which starts in November. Sixty of the 80 games in 2026 are expected to be played in the United States, with Canada and Mexico hosting 10 each. Canada’s men’s soccer team recently qualified for this year’s World Cup. As the host country, Canada receives automatic entry into the 2026 tournament.
