Energy reaches a fever pitch downtown Vancouver ahead of first World Cup match at B.C. Place

1 week ago 15

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Thousands of soccer fans dressed in jerseys crowded into Vancouver’s entertainment district for some sunny pre-game celebrations Saturday ahead of Vancouver hosting its first World Cup match.

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Watch parties are being held throughout Metro Vancouver but on Granville Street — where five blocks were shut down for a pedestrian zone — the energy reached a fever pitch.

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Many were families taking part in activities, including writing their names on a large art installation and playing table soccer. A group of Australians outside of the Dublin Calling on Granville Street, one with a drum, chanted “Aussie Aussie Aussie.”

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Australians Tom Walker and Vanessa Zoghbi flew from New York to watch their country play in the Australia-Turkey opener.

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Dressed in yellow and green, Walker held a blow-up yellow kangaroo and walked down Granville Street.

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“Australians aren’t known for soccer,” Walker said. “We will be happy if we see a goal today, very very happy.”

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The couple was pleased with their decision to come to Vancouver.

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“I really love it here,” said Zoghbi. “The weather is perfect. We got to see so much just in the last 24 hours because of how close the stadium is to the city.”

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Canada Soccer House at The Shipyards in North Vancouver, BC was packed for a viewing party of Team Canada as they played Bosnia-Hercegovina in the FIFA World Cup 2026. The game ended in a tie 1-1. Photo by Jason Payne /PNG
Canadian soccer legend Bob Lenarduzzi takes the podium at Canada Soccer House at The Shipyards in North Vancouver, BC Friday, June 12, 2026. Photo by Jason Payne /PNG
Canada Soccer House at The Shipyards in North Vancouver, BC was packed for a viewing party of Team Canada as they played Bosnia-Herzegovina in the FIFA World Cup 2026. The game ended in a tie 1-1. Photo by Jason Payne /PNG
Canada Soccer House at The Shipyards in North Vancouver, BC was packed for a viewing party of Team Canada as they played Bosnia-Herzegovina in the FIFA World Cup 2026. The game ended in a tie 1-1. Photo by Jason Payne /PNG
(From left) Nash Graham-Taylor, 14, Levy Graham-Taylor, 11, Gus Taylor and Nadja Graham at Canada Soccer House at The Shipyards in North Vancouver, BC Friday, June 12, 2026. The venue was packed for a viewing party of Team Canada as they played Bosnia-Herzegovina in the FIFA World Cup 2026. The game ended in a tie 1-1. Photo by Jason Payne /PNG
Canada Soccer House at The Shipyards in North Vancouver, BC was packed for a viewing party of Team Canada as they played Bosnia-Herzegovina in the FIFA World Cup 2026. The game ended in a tie 1-1.Photo by Jason Payne /PNG
Canada Soccer House at The Shipyards in North Vancouver, BC was packed for a viewing party of Team Canada as they played Bosnia-Herzegovina in the FIFA World Cup 2026. The game ended in a tie 1-1. Photo by Jason Payne /PNG
Canada Soccer House at The Shipyards in North Vancouver, BC was packed for a viewing party of Team Canada as they played Bosnia-Herzegovina in the FIFA World Cup 2026. The game ended in a tie 1-1. Photo by Jason Payne /PNG
Canada Soccer House at The Shipyards in North Vancouver, BC was packed for a viewing party of Team Canada as they played Bosnia-Herzegovina in the FIFA World Cup 2026. The game ended in a tie 1-1. Photo by Jason Payne /PNG
NCanada Soccer House at The Shipyards in North Vancouver, BC was packed for a viewing party of Team Canada as they played Bosnia-Hercegovina in the FIFA World Cup 2026. The game ended in a tie 1-1. Photo by Jason Payne /PNG
Canada Soccer House at The Shipyards in North Vancouver, BC was packed for a viewing party of Team Canada as they played Bosnia-Hercegovina in the FIFA World Cup 2026. The game ended in a tie 1-1. Photo by Jason Payne /PNG
Canada Soccer House at The Shipyards in North Vancouver, BC was packed for a viewing party of Team Canada as they played Bosnia-Hercegovina in the FIFA World Cup 2026. The game ended in a tie 1-1. Photo by Jason Payne /PNG
Canada Soccer House at The Shipyards in North Vancouver, BC was packed for a viewing party of Team Canada as they played Bosnia-Hercegovina in the FIFA World Cup 2026. The game ended in a tie 1-1. Photo by Jason Payne /PNG
Canada Soccer House at The Shipyards in North Vancouver, BC was packed for a viewing party of Team Canada as they played Bosnia-Hercegovina in the FIFA World Cup 2026. The game ended in a tie 1-1. Photo by Jason Payne /PNG
Canada Soccer House at The Shipyards in North Vancouver, BC was packed for a viewing party of Team Canada as they played Bosnia-Herzegovina in the FIFA World Cup 2026. The game ended in a tie 1-1. Photo by Jason Payne /PNG
Canada Soccer House at The Shipyards in North Vancouver, BC was packed for a viewing party of Team Canada as they played Bosnia-Hercegovina in the FIFA World Cup 2026. The game ended in a tie 1-1. Photo by Jason Payne /PNG
Canada Soccer House at The Shipyards in North Vancouver, BC was packed for a viewing party of Team Canada as they played Bosnia-Hercegovina in the FIFA World Cup 2026. The game ended in a tie 1-1. Photo by Jason Payne /PNG
From left, Nash Graham-taylor, 14, Levy Graham-Taylor, 11, Gus Taylor and Nadja Graham at Canada Soccer House at The Shipyards in North Vancouver.Photo by Jason Payne /PNG
Canada Soccer House at The Shipyards in North Vancouver, BC was packed for a viewing party of Team Canada as they played Bosnia-Hercegovina in the FIFA World Cup 2026. The game ended in a tie 1-1. Photo by Jason Payne /PNG
Canada Soccer House at The Shipyards in North Vancouver, BC was packed for a viewing party of Team Canada as they played Bosnia-Hercegovina in the FIFA World Cup 2026. The game ended in a tie 1-1. Photo by Jason Payne /PNG
Canada Soccer House at The Shipyards in North Vancouver, BC was packed for a viewing party of Team Canada as they played Bosnia-Hercegovina in the FIFA World Cup 2026. The game ended in a tie 1-1. Photo by Jason Payne /PNG
Canada Soccer House at The Shipyards in North Vancouver, BC was packed for a viewing party of Team Canada as they played Bosnia-Hercegovina in the FIFA World Cup 2026. The game ended in a tie 1-1. Photo by Jason Payne /PNG

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The first of seven World Cup matches in Vancouver kicked off Saturday night at B.C. Place Stadium.

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With the first game not starting until later, B.C. Place was fairly quiet on Saturday afternoon, but Granville Street was heaving with fans.

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Fans lined up for food vendors or spilled out of bars and cafes chatting and cheering, while others sipped drinks on sunny patios.

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Turkish born Hakan Ceylan flew in from Germany, where he and his family live.

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“I don’t think Turkey is going to win the whole thing, I came here to celebrate soccer,” he said, though he thinks the Turkish team will win against Australia Saturday night.

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“Soccer is the No. 1 sport in Turkey,” he said. “I had a FaceTime with my daughter an hour ago, I told her and my wife — go look for tickets to Vancouver, we are going to come back here together this summer.”

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Ceylan described Vancouver as a great city with a beautiful forests and nature.

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“There is some crime here and there, and homeless people, but it feels relatively very safe.”

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He said the last time Turkey was in the World Cup was in 2022.

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“I’m so excited that we have a shot at it again.”

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Fans were greeted Saturday with sunshine and above seasonal temperatures hovering around 23 C and 29 C inland. On Sunday, temperatures will hit up to 31 C inland or 24 C closer to the water, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada.

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To manage match-day crowds, a number of traffic closures and detours have been put in place downtown, along with a pedestrian-only corridor along False Creek between Science World and B.C. Place dubbed the Last Mile that will serve as the only entry point into the stadium for ticket holders.

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