FIFA World Cup 2026 host city Vancouver could lose MLS club Whitecaps

World Cup host Vancouver is in danger of losing its Major League Soccer club to another city.

MLS said late Monday it will “evaluate all options” for the future of the Vancouver Whitecaps, including a move out of the city. The club was put up for sale 16 months ago by an ownership group that includes former NBA star Steve Nash.

The uncertainty surrounding the team is fueled by limited revenue opportunities and a short-term lease for the BC Place stadium, which will host seven World Cup matches in June and July, including Canada against Qatar and Switzerland.

FIFA vice-president Victor Montagliani, a native of Vancouver, said last year that losing an MLS club “would, in my opinion, be a capital crime as a result of the World Cup.”

Fans carrying «Save The Caps» placards protested Saturday at the team’s final home game before the stadium was taken over for the World Cup. The number of visitors was more than 27,000.

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In a statement late Monday, the Whitecaps said they had “serious discussions with more than a hundred parties and to date no viable offer has emerged that would keep the club here.”

“The club has faced well-documented structural challenges in stadium economics, venue access and revenue constraints that have made it difficult to attract buyers committed to keeping the team in Vancouver.”

A franchise fee that cost tens of millions of dollars to join the MLS fifteen years ago is now likely worth hundreds of millions.

A team featuring German great Thomas Müller reached the final of the MLS Cup last year, losing 3-1 to Lionel Messi and Inter Miami.

Published on April 28, 2026