Vancouver

Vancouver is hosting seven 2026 FIFA World Cup matches at BC Place, including New Zealand vs Egypt and New Zealand vs Belgium in Group G. The city made international headlines when its police chief explicitly confirmed that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would not be deployed in Vancouver for the World Cup, creating a stark contrast with American host cities that have signed agreements with federal immigration authorities . Amnesty International cited the ICE issue in its 'Humanity Must Win' report, and by April 2026 HRW confirmed Vancouver as one of just four host cities with a published human rights plan, alongside Atlanta, Dallas and Houston.

Vancouver is also hosting the 76th FIFA Congress on 30 April 2026, the supreme legislative body of world football, bringing together representatives from all 211 FIFA member associations. The Congress takes place approximately six weeks before the tournament begins; by mid-April it had been downgraded to ceremonial on the Iran participation file, with the agenda unpublished 15 days out .

As Canada's westernmost major city and its third-largest metropolitan area, Vancouver brings a Pacific Rim demographic and a strong connection to Asian and South American football communities. BC Place, with a retractable roof, offers a reliable weather envelope for the Canadian summer. Vancouver's combination of the FIFA Congress, its distinctive immigration policy stance, and its Group G fixtures makes it one of the more politically consequential host cities of 2026.

The 30 April FIFA Congress in Vancouver took place without an Iran resolution. On 6 May, Infantino held his post-Congress press conference citing 500 million ticket applications, sidelining the $15k Visa bond and DG COMP issues. Vancouver was one of only four host cities that had published its human rights action plan by HRW's 11 May deadline.