Jumbo Screen at BC Place Stadium

The 2026 FIFA World Cup takes place in Canada, USA and Mexico. Select games of the international soccer tournament are at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver.

Canada is in Group B along with Qatar, Switzerland and Bosnia/Herzegovina.

For details about FIFA-related events at the PNE and other communities, click FIFA Fan Festival, Surrey FIFA Fan Zones, Richmond Celebrates Soccer, Coquitlam Summer of Soccer, or Soccer in the Square at UBC. To learn about the World Cup in general, and its games in Vancouver, continue reading.

This article contains the following information about the 2026 FIFA World Cup:

FIFA in Vancouver

2026 FIFA World Cup Soccer in Vancouver

In 2026 the World Cup runs from June 11th until July 26th with games played in Canada, Mexico and the United Stages. Seven of the games take place in Vancouver, at BC Place Stadium. They happen on June 13th, 18th, 21st, 24th and 26th. There are also games in vancouver on July 2nd and 4th. Between June 11th until July 19th, in addition to the live games, there are parties and other FIFA-related celebratory events all over the Lower Mainland, including an official one at the PNE as well as “soccer parties” in Richmond, Surrey, at UBC and other communities.

The FIFA World Cup is the biggest international soccer competition in the world. The men’s tournament takes place every four years. Argentina won the 2022 edition in Qatar. The next FIFA World Cup takes place in 2026 with games in Vancouver and 15 other cities across Canada, Mexico and the United States.

The 2026 tournament is particularly special for a number of reasons. It’s the first time that the FIFA World Cup is happening in three different countries in the same year. It’s also the very first time that Canada is hosting the tournament.

Even more importantly, 2026 features 48 teams rather than the usual 32. This is the first time since 1998 that the World Cup has expanded in size. There will be 12 groups of 4 teams each, with the top 2 from each group as well as the 8 best third-place teams advancing to the knockout round.

Canada’s FIFA Games

In Canada’s first game, they play Bosnia/Herzegovina in Toronto. Next they play Qatar on June 18th and then Switzerland on June 24th, with both games in Vancouver.

In addition to the games, there is also a FIFA Fan Festival at the PNE, FIFA Fan Zones in Surrey, Richmond Celebrates Soccer, Soccer in the Square at UBC, and other World Cup-related community events.

When and Where?

The 2026 FIFA World Cup runs from June 11th until July 26th. Games in Vancouver take place between June 13th and July 7th.

BC Place Stadium hosts all of the games happening in Vancouver. The venue is located at 777 Pacific Boulevard. It’s an impressive building that also hosted nine matches during the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup. It’s also home to the Vancouver Whitecaps soccer and BC Lions Canadian football teams.

Japan vs Switzerland Players — FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2015

FIFA 2026 Schedule and Teams

As always, host countries are automatically qualified for the FIFA World Cup. Following the tournament’s draw, the groups for the 2026 World Cup are as follows:

A Group – Mexico, South Korea, South Africa and Czechia
B Group – Canada, Switzerland, Qatar and Bosnia/Herzegovina
C Group – Brazil, Morocco, Scotland and Haiti
D Group – United States, Australia, Paraguay and Turkey
E Group – Germany, Ecuador, Ivory Coast and Curaçao
F Group – Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia and Sweden
G Group – Belgium, Iran, Egypt and New Zealand
H Group – Spain, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde
I Group – France, Senegal, Norway and Iraq
J Group – Argentina, Austria, Algeria and Jordan
K Group – Portugal, Colombia, Uzbekistan and DR Congo
L Group – England, Croatia, Ghana and Panama

The tournament format includes 104 games in 2026. Most of the games take place in the United States, with 13 of the games happening in Canada, split between Vancouver and Toronto.

Games taking place in Vancouver are listed below.

Group Stage Games

Saturday, June 13th, 2026 – Australia vs Turkey
Thursday, June 18th, 2026 – Canada vs Qatar
Sunday, June 21st, 2026 – New Zealand vs Egypt
Wednesday, June 24th, 2026 – Canada vs Switzerland
Friday, June 26th, 2026 – New Zealand vs Belgium

Round of 32 Game

Thursday, July 2nd, 2026 – Winner of Group B vs 3rd Place from Group E/F/G/I/J

Round of 16 Game

Tuesday, July 7th, 2026 – Teams TBC

Those interested in attending can apply for tickets to specific matches on the FIFA Tickets website. There are caps on how many people from each country can receive tickets, and they are distributed using a lottery system. Competition will be fierce!

If you’re unable to score tickets through the lottery, they will be available for resale on the open market. They could be much more expensive this way, however, especially for certain matchups.

FIFA Fan Zone

FIFA Fan Festival in Vancouver

During each FIFA World Cup, host cities offer viewing events for everyone. 2026 is no exception.

The 2026 FIFA Fan Festival Vancouver is at the PNE from June 11th to July 19th. The more than a month long festival will include screenings of all the matches as well as live entertainment, games, food and other fun activities.

The centrepiece of the festival is the new Freedom Mobile Arch at the PNE fairgrounds. The amphitheatre includes 10,000 seats, a massive screen for movies and other broadcasts (like soccer games!) and a roof covering that keeps the seats dry but retains an open-air feeling.

For more details about the official viewing events in Vancouver, see our article about the FIFA Fan Festival.

Cameroonian FIFA Soccer Team Huddle — Cameroon at FIFA Women’s World Cup Game in 2015

Soccer in the Square at UBC

Soccer in the Square at UBC is a series of free match screenings at Wesbrook Village. The events are casual and attendees are encouraged to bring camping chairs and blankets. Wesbrook Village offers a number of restaurants and bakeries nearby. On some days, there are family-friendly movies to enjoy on the big screen too.

For more information about the free screenings at Wesbrook Village, check out our article about Soccer in the Square at UBC or click liveatubc.ca.

Richmond Celebrates Soccer

In celebration of FIFA in Vancouver, Richmond offers a number of special events at various venues throughout the tournament. All of them are free to attend. For example, there’s a World Soccer Day Kick-Off Event at the Richmond Olympic Oval on June 12th. Other events on other days are held at places such as Aberdeen Neighbourhood Park, Hamilton Community Park, Steveston Community Park, and more.

For additional details about the events in Richmond, see our Richmond Celebrates Soccer article or visit the richmondcelebratessoccer.ca website.

Coquitlam’s Summer of Soccer

The city of Coquitlam hosts four different soccer-themed celebrations as part of their Summer of Soccer series. The events take place at Percy Perry Stadium on June 12th, Blue Mountain Park on June 24th, Town Centre Park on July 1st, and Percy Perry Stadium once again on July 19th. All four celebrations feature live match broadcasts and inclusive atmospheres.

To learn more about the series of events, visit coquitlam.ca.

FIFA Events in Surrey

Events celebrating the World Cup will be in Surrey at a number of locations between June 11th and July 19th in 2026. They’ll be at South Surrey Athletic Park, Surrey Civic Plaza, and the Cloverdale Agriplex. There will also be a FIFA Watch Party at the Surrey Canada Day Celebrations at Bill Reid Millennium Park on July 1st.

For more details about the FIFA-related events in Surrey, see our article about Surrey FIFA Fan Zones or visit surreysoccerfanzones.ca.