While
some may be grousing about the supposed “lower quality”
of teams Canada landed in the World Cup draw last Friday, that doesn’t seem to have dimmed enthusiasm of fans from abroad.
Canada, and Vancouver in particular, has seen a 240 per cent increase in searches for flights on the travel site Kayak in the past week, compared with the same time last year.
There had been a 25 per cent uptick in searches on Kayak ahead of the draw that determined the Cup groups, and that spiked another 40 per cent post-draw, more than double the searches at the same time last year.
While Canada’s Group B opponents that we will see at B.C. Place — Qatar and Switzerland — aren’t exactly global draws, they’re still teams that have qualified for THE WORLD CUP. It’s the biggest sporting event in the world, with apologies to Olympics fans.
Then there will be two Group G matches at B.C. Place: Egypt vs. New Zealand and Egypt vs. Iran.
Egypt has Mo Salah of Liverpool, one of the top strikers in the English Premier League, and should draw some interest.
Iran may be a tougher sell. They were supposed to play a friendly against Canada in Vancouver in 2022 before the game was cancelled. There was a huge public outcry over the deaths of 55 Canadians — part of a group of 176 victims — who perished when Iranian military forces shot down a Ukrainian airliner in January 2020.
The marquee match in Canada might just be in Toronto, should Italy qualify for the Cup out of one of the European playoff spots yet to be claimed.
The winner of the UEFA Path A playoff — the spot determined after the victor in the Italy-Northern Ireland semifinal takes on the Wales-Bosnia-Herzegovina winner — goes on to face Canada in Toronto’s opening game.
If it’s Italy — ranked 12th globally, and a four-time world champion — the huge Italian community in Toronto will welcome many of their compatriots to BMO Field.
Germany, Croatia, Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire also make popular picks for soccer fans, and have strong travelling contingents.
Toronto’s search results on Kayak also spiked compared with last year, a whopping 350 per cent increase year-over-year. After the results of the draw last Friday, there was a 150 per cent increase in flight searches compared with the few days prior.
The next chance to qualify to buy tickets comes during FIFA’s Random Selection Draw, which you can apply for between Dec. 11 and Jan. 13, 2026. The FIFA reselling platform is on hiatus until Dec. 11, when sellers can list tickets, but purchasing won’t be available until Dec. 15.
On other aftermarket sites, like Stubhub.ca, prices remain stratospheric. A cheapest pair of Category 3 tickets to the opening game at B.C. Place — Australia vs. a European playoff winner — will set you back $526 for two. The top end for two Category 1 tickets to the same game is $9,797.
Canada’s first game in Vancouver runs at $820 for a pair of Category 3 tickets, and $4,704 for two Category 1 ducats.
It’ll only take $508 to get you and another into Belgium vs. New Zealand, with the current high end at $5,228 for two Category 1 chits.
Vancouver’s prices are a steal compared with Canada’s game at BMO Field. By virtue of being Canada’s first Cup game on home soil, possibly against Italy, and in the tournament’s smallest stadium, you’ll need $2,707 just to get you and a partner in the door with two Category 3 tickets. The other end of the spectrum, in Section 108, two Category 1 tickets are currently listed for $111,682.
Friday, June 12:
Canada vs. TBD (noon PT), BMO Field
Saturday, June 13:
Australia vs. TBD, (time TBD), B.C. Place.
Wednesday, June 17:
Ghana vs. Panama (4 p.m. PT), BMO Field
Thursday, June 18:
Canada vs. Qatar (3 p.m. PT), B.C. Place
Saturday, June 20:
Germany vs. Côte d’Ivoire, (1 p.m. PT), BMO Field
Sunday, June 21:
New Zealand vs. Egypt, (6 p.m. PT), B.C. Place
Tuesday, June 23:
Panama vs. Croatia, (4 p.m. PT), BMO Field
Wednesday, June 24:
Switzerland vs. Canada (noon PT), B.C. Place
Friday, June 26:
New Zealand vs. Egypt, (6 p.m. PT), B.C. Place
Friday, June 26:
Senegal vs. TBD (noon PT), BMO Field
