Paramedics responded to dozens of “patient events” surrounding Vancouver’s first FIFA World Cup game last weekend, officials have confirmed. B.C. Emergency Health Services said there were 37 such incidents recorded between 5 p.m. Saturday and 5 a.m. Sunday in and around BC Place, the FIFA Fan Festival and the Granville Street Pedestrian Zone. Of those, 14 resulted in patients being transported to hospital. “These call volumes were in line with what we expected and prepared for given the larger crowd sizes in these FIFA zones and well within our capacity to handle,” a spokesperson said in a statement. The game—which saw Australia beat Türkiye 2-0—began at 9 p.m. and ended shortly before 11 p.m. Health officials said 21 of the “patient events” took place at the stadium and surrounding area, bordered by Pacific Boulevard, Expo Boulevard, Griffiths Way and Smithe Street. Another 15 were in and around Granville Street Pedestrian Zone, bordered by Drake, Howe, Seymour and Dunsmuir streets. Only one took place at the FIFA Fan Festival. BCEHS could not provide any further information on the nature of the incidents—such as whether any were related to violence or substance use—only that “patient events” are any emergency medical situations attended to by paramedics. The Vancouver Police Department has said officers only made two arrests associated with World Cup events on Saturday—one at BC Place and one at the FIFA Fan Festival. “Considering the size of the event, two arrests is minimal and would be a small number even for a regular Saturday night,” Sgt. Adam Donaldson told CTV News, in an email summary of policing efforts during the game. Some 1,200 officers were deployed across Vancouver on match day, including members of outside departments—such as the Calgary Police Service and Edmonton Police Service—who were transported into the city to help. The most recent cost projection for hosting part of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Vancouver includes $242 million for safety and security, though the B.C. government and police have refused to share any information on how that money is being spent until after the tournament.
