Most Metro Vancouver residents view FIFA World Cup positively, back keeping Granville Street car-free
A new survey shows 72% of residents say the tournament has been mostly positive for Vancouver and B.C., with 79% expecting benefits for Canada overall.
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A strong majority of Metro Vancouver residents view the 2026 FIFA World Cup as a positive experience for the region, and most expect lasting benefits, according to a new survey.
Research Co. found that 72% of residents say the tournament will have a mostly positive impact on B.C. and Vancouver, while 79% expect a mostly positive impact on Canada. By comparison, only 14% expect a mostly negative impact on B.C. and Vancouver, and 9% expect one for Canada.
The poll was conducted in the third week of the tournament across North America. Results compare favourably with polling from the 2010 Winter Olympics, when fewer than seven-in-ten Metro Vancouver residents expected similar benefits.
Residents are particularly confident about tourism impacts. Eighty percent of respondents expect the World Cup to successfully make Vancouver and B.C. more attractive destinations for tourists—39% saying it will be very successful, 41% moderately successful.
Expectations for broader economic development were also strong at 69%, though confidence dropped to 54% when asked about long-term job creation. Most residents gave passing marks to all three levels of government for promoting the tournament, with the federal government receiving the highest satisfaction rating at 61%, followed by the municipal government at 59% and the provincial government at 53%.
The survey also found residents are more likely to believe the World Cup is being staged for sports fans and powerful groups than for ordinary people, with 67% saying it benefits sports fans and 63% saying it benefits elites.
