SEATTLE (AP) — MLS Commissioner Don Garber said before the United States beat Australia at the World Cup on Friday that the Vancouver Whitecaps need to have a new stadium deal in order to keep the club in Vancouver.
“We’re committed to keeping the team here if we have a viable stadium project,” Garber said, “which we don’t have now.”
Financial hurdles have hit the club despite its success on the pitch. BC Place, the Whitecaps’ home since 2011, is government-owned
and operated by B.C. Pavilion Corporation, restricting the club from potential revenue streams.
In April, Vancouver mayor Ken Sim said the city has offered space at Hastings Park on its east side for the team to build a stadium.
“Now, we face the difficult part,” Sim said at the time. “BC Place is owned and operated by the Provincial Government. In fact, it’s the only stadium owned and operated by a government found anywhere in the MLS. In order for the team to stay in Vancouver, the Whitecaps and Province must sign a bridge deal that will allow BC Place to become viable in the near term while a new stadium can be designed and built.”
Scheduling flexibility has also been a problem, as the Whitecaps had to forfeit home-field advantage for a 2024 playoff game due to a motocross event taking place at the stadium.
“We want to keep the team there, but we can’t do that unless the political influencers and their entities put together something that will allow Vancouver to not be at the bottom of the list,” Garber said. “They don’t have the tools to be successful.”
The Whitecaps sit atop the Western Conference standings during the MLS’ World Cup break. They reached their first MLS Cup Final in 2025 and have won four consecutive Canadian championships.
The fan support has reflected that success. The Whitecaps rank eighth among 30 clubs in average attendance this season, and they led the league in attendance during last year’s playoffs.
With the stadium situation still a barrier for financial success, a group came forward in April to propose relocating the franchise to Las Vegas.
“I think the city, which has its issues, that corporate community that’s not been very supportive of the club, is now recognizing what soccer and the Whitecaps actually mean to the city,” Garber said. “We are a very relevant club that doesn’t have a good business model.”
___
Ben Kule is a student in the University of Georgia’s Carmical Sports Media Institute.
___
AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
