Canada, with its brutal winters and generations of tradition, may be a hockey nation. But for nearly six weeks this summer, Vancouver, British Columbia, a city nestled between forests, mountain ranges and a bay, is in a soccer frenzy as a World Cup host.<\/p>\n
For Vancouver sports fans, the tournament has come at exactly the right time.<\/p>\n
The Canucks finished with the worst record in the National Hockey League last season. And the city is in jeopardy of losing its Major League Soccer team, the Whitecaps, in a standoff between billionaires and the government of British Columbia.<\/p>\n
Jessie Adcock, the local executive who led Vancouver\u2019s preparations to host seven World Cup games, joining Toronto as the only Canadian host cities, said the event had provided visibility to larger issues while also serving as a release.<\/p>\n
Last week, Vancouver was the site of Canada\u2019s first win in the men\u2019s World Cup<\/a>, a 6-0 rout of Qatar in front of Mark Carney, the prime minister. The city became the center of a nationwide celebration, with fans flooding the streets outside BC Place in euphoria.<\/p>\n \u201cRight now, people are enjoying and celebrating and sharing a collective moment as opposed to debating or challenging,\u201d Adcock said.<\/p>\n Fans eager for a second consecutive win marched to Wednesday\u2019s game between Canada and Switzerland while drenched in red apparel, the Canadian flag draped across shoulders and maple leaves branded on top hats. Before kickoff, the stadium roared as they sang lyrics to their national anthem: \u201cO Canada! Our home and native land!\u201d In the game\u2019s closing minutes, gasps erupted from the crowd as Canada sought a tying goal.<\/p>\n As he stood in the stadium concourse while fans bustled to concessions, Shaun Layton said he hoped the energy would translate to Vancouver\u2019s sports leaders.<\/p>\n \u201cThe fan base is there, the passion is there, and Vancouver needs this,\u201d said Layton, who owns a Spanish restaurant in the city where the bathrooms are plastered with pictures of players in European soccer leagues.<\/p>\n Canada ultimately lost to Switzerland, 2-1, but still advanced out of group play. It would have remained in Vancouver with a win but must now travel to Inglewood, Calif.<\/p>\n BC Place, which is also hosting World Cup matches featuring Egypt, Australia and New Zealand, has been the home field of the Whitecaps since 2011. It is owned by the government of British Columbia, and the team\u2019s ownership group has criticized the current revenue-sharing plan and lease terms.<\/p>\n The team was valued at more than $400 million when it was put up for sale in 2024, but no local buyer emerged. The strongest pitch came from a Las Vegas investment group that offered to buy the team and build a new stadium in Nevada<\/a>.<\/p>\n