B.C. premier says losing Vancouver Whitecaps to Las Vegas would be ‘a travesty’

Vancouver is buzzing with fans from across the country here to cheer on the red and white. Several are also here from overseas making their voices heard.

Premier David Eby says the British Columbia government is doing everything in its power to keep the Vancouver Whitecaps in the city as the team’s ownership considers a bid to relocate the club to the United States.

The Whitecaps have been up for sale since December 2024, with owners citing challenges related to stadium control and revenue sharing at BC Place. Meanwhile, an investor group has submitted a bid to move the team to Las Vegas.

“We’re pulling out the stops to keep the Whitecaps here in British Columbia,” Eby told CTV Your Morning Vancouver on Thursday.

“To have them go to Las Vegas would be a travesty, and I do believe that there’s a path for us to try to keep the Whitecaps here, and so that’s what we’re working on.”

• FIFA World Cup: Canada vs. Qatar in Vancouver – LIVE updates

The federal government has also reaffirmed its commitment to keeping the team in Vancouver.

Federal Housing Minister Gregor Robertson said in a statement last week that everyone involved in the discussions, including Major League Soccer officials and local First Nations, “is wearing the same jersey and working toward the same goal.”

The Whitecaps maintain that attracting a credible local ownership group is still the club’s top priority.

“A Vancouver solution remains our primary goal,” the club said in a statement. “Achieving it will require the full commitment of the entire community.”

Eby said Thursday that the Whitecaps are “foundational to soccer in British Columbia,” and that relocating the team would be a significant blow to the province.

“There might be like a super rich guy in Las Vegas that could pay more money ultimately, and if that’s the decision, then that’s the decision,” he said. “We are counting on those folks who want to help us keep the Whitecaps here. Government can’t do it ourselves.”

Billion-dollar World Cup boost

The premier was expected to attend Thursday’s FIFA World Cup match in Vancouver between Canada and Qatar. Prime Minister Mark Carney is also scheduled to attend the game—the second of seven World Cup matches to be played at BC Place.

Eby reiterated his government’s estimate that hosting the World Cup matches would generate a $1-billion boost to the provincial economy, with the tourism and hospitality sectors expected to be the primary beneficiaries.

“There are broadcasters from around the world that are showing these kinds of scenes to people,” the premier said from an outdoor broadcast studio overlooking the North Shore mountains.

“There are people from around the world who are coming here, having a really positive experience,” he added. “The hosting that has happened here from British Columbians is incredible.”

The premier said there will be lasting “practical legacies” of the games, such as upgraded soccer fields to benefit future generations, but also intangible legacies that are harder to measure.

“We’re projecting about a billion dollars in economic benefits from this, as well as those long-term community-building soccer vibes,” he said.

“We’re seeing such positive coverage of British Columbia and Vancouver,” Eby added.

“There’s something to be said as a country about coming together to celebrate Team Canada at a time when, frankly, there are tensions—when there’s an important discussion happening in Alberta about their future in our country—to come together as Canadians, to mark something as Canadians.”

With files from The Canadian Press