Soccer fans rejoice as Canada delivers 6-0 win vs. Qatar

Fans cheer on Canada at the Canada vs. Qatar FIFA World Cup 2026 game at B.C. Place on June 18, 2026. Photo by Jason Payne /PNG

Article content

For years, Vancouver’s World Cup story was told through construction updates, budget concerns, security plans and traffic warnings.

Article content

At B.C. Place Thursday afternoon, for Canada’s second World Cup match on home soil and first in Vancouver, it was defined by something far more fun: Goals. Lots of them.

Article content

Article content

Canada routed Qatar 6-0, with a hat trick from Jonathan David and goals from Cyle Larin, Nathan Saliba and Jacob Shaffelburg, sending the sold-out stadium into celebration.

Article content

Article content

Chants of “Canada! Canada!” thundered through the seats as jubilant spectators cheered, hugged, and exchanged high-fives, celebrating the national men’s team’s first World Cup victory.

Article content

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA – JUNE 18: Alistair Johnston #2 and players of Canada applaud fans after the team’s 6-0 victory in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group B match between Canada and Qatar at BC Place Vancouver on June 18, 2026 in Vancouver, British Columbia. Photo by Alex Grimm /Getty Images

Article content

Article content

“I feel so proud of our team being on the world stage,” said Susanne Milner, who took the afternoon off work after scoring a last-minute $600 ticket to the game in the hopes of witnessing a historic win for Canada.

Article content

“It’s great to be at home and cheering them on with other fans. It feels like one big community.”

Article content

The stakes on the field are high: Canada and Qatar each earned their first-ever World Cup point in their opening matches — Canada against Bosnia and Herzegovina and Qatar against Switzerland. Thursday’s match offered both countries a chance to claim their first World Cup win.

Article content

Canada soccer fans make their way north on Quebec Street towards B.C. Place ahead of the Canada vs. Qatar game. Photo by Arlen Redekop /PNG

Article content

But the excitement surrounding the game had begun long before kickoff.

Article content

Hours earlier, soccer fans, including members of Canada’s national supporters group The Voyageurs, flooded the Last Mile as they marched toward B.C. Place.

Article content

National pride was on full display, with Canadian flags mounted on hockey sticks bobbing above the crowd and bursts of red smoke billowing overhead. Supporters beat drums, danced and sang, and broke into impromptu chants.

Article content

Article content

Joe Chan, who moved to Vancouver two years ago, said he was surprised by the scale of the crowds.

Article content

Article content

“Soccer is huge in Europe. In Asia. Not that big in North America. But it’s growing. You can see how playing on home soil really brings out the fans and the atmosphere. It’s really great to see here in Canada,” said Chan.

Article content

Nahili Mohamed, 9, and her brother Nayad, 10, skipped school in Victoria to experience Canada’s first men’s World Cup match in Vancouver. They’re excited to see their favourite soccer player Ali Ahmed, the former Vancouver Whitecap who started at midfield for Canada Thursday.

Article content

(L-R) Jibril Mohamed, Nayad, Nahili and Ali Adnan Photo by Dan Fumano / PNG

Article content

Their father, Jibril Mohamed, said he wanted his children to witness a moment they might never see again.

Article content

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” he said outside B.C. Place before the game started. “I brought them to inspire them.”

Article content

Nayad, who plays centre midfield for a youth team in Victoria, already has bigger dreams. “I want to play for Canada when I grow up,” he said.

Article content

Omar Alzubaidy and his family were among the small contingent of Qatari supporters making their way to the stadium.

Article content

Their maroon-and-white outfits stood out amid a sea of red-and-white, but Alzubaidy said they had been warmly received by fellow fans.

Article content

(L-R) Zeena Ta, Haneen Alzubaidy, Aleena Alzubaidy, and Omar Alzubaidy Photo by Dan Fumano / PNG

Article content

“Everybody is so hospitable, saying good luck and wanting to shake our hands and give us high-fives,” said Alzubaidy, a Port Coquitlam resident who used to live in Qatar’s capital city, Doha. “Because really this is what the sport is about.”