World Cup withdrawal a big mistake
NDP government tried to put dollar figure on hosting tournament, but that’s not the point
The beef between FIFA and the B.C. government is mindful of a hockey story from a few years ago.
We’re a little fuzzy about the details, but it seems a fight erupted between two players — let’s say Darcy Tucker and Matthew Barnaby — who weren’t especially popular with their colleagues. While the pair were chucking knuckles, somebody from one of the benches leaned over and said: “Let’s hope they both lose,” thereby sealing their place in the game’s lore.
At first blush, it’s a similar story between the two antagonists in the drama over the 2026 World Cup. On the one hand, you’ve got an arrogant, myopic, self-absorbed body motivated only by self-interest. On the other hand, you have FIFA, which makes the provincial NDP look like Doctors Without Borders.
You’d like to see them pound each other into a bloody mess over Vancouver’s role in the group bid to host some part of the world’s largest sports event.
The problem is, there’s too much at stake to leave in the hands of these two nitwits.
On Wednesday, our city was left out of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico bid for the 2026 tournament because John Horgan’s government got nervous over the province’s end in the process.
One supposes that’s admirable and anyone who stands up to the money-grubbers from FIFA should be applauded. But this one isn’t as simple as Horgan positioning his government as the champions of Joe Taxpayer.
Not by a long shot. Horgan and the NDP took office in July of last year. To that point, the bid process was well underway and the new government had to be aware of what was involved. If they weren’t, there were multiple opportunities over the next eight months to voice their concerns. Announcements were made. Meetings were held. Stories weren’t written.
But, according to sources familiar with the process, there wasn’t a peep from the NDP until 10 days ago as the deadline for submitting the bid drew near. Suddenly, there were all manners of concerns about the cost of security, the cost of installing a natural-grass playing surface at B.C. Place, the cost of operating the provincially-owned facility, the cost of shrimp canapés for the blueblazered dweebs from FIFA. OK, made the last one up.
The NDP said they weren’t going to write a blank cheque for FIFA. They said FIFA wouldn’t negotiate with the province. All the while the clock was ticking and, Wednesday, time ran out. The bid was submitted without Vancouver. Let the howling begin.
In the ensuing days, you will read a lot about the potential economic impact of the Cup on our city. You will read about the global impact of the Cup and its promotional value. You will be left with the impression that the NDP kissed away hundreds of millions of dollars and a once-in-a-lifetime showcase for Vancouver. That may be, although those economic-impact numbers aren’t exactly the final word on the subject and, given real estate prices here, I’m not sure our city needs its profile raised.
No, this comes down to something far more basic, something that strikes at who we are, who we’ve been and who we want to be. We are a world-class city with a history of hosting world-class events. We’re also the ancestral home of soccer in Canada and, to be excluded from our first, and likely only, chance to host the game’s premier event is an embarrassment.
Yes, there’s a risk involved, but there always is with events of this size. It’s part of the cost of sitting at the big-money table.
So why would the NDP look at everything in play and conclude, no, too rich for our blood? It’s not like they didn’t have support. The city is on board. The feds are on board, provincial governments in Alberta, Ontario and Quebec signed off on the bid, as did city halls in Edmonton, Toronto and Montreal.
But Horgan stands alone. Interesting.
Look, FIFA is just as likely to turn around and hand the 2026 Cup to Morocco, in which case the NDP will look like visionaries. But some things are even too obvious for FIFA. They’ll have the U.S. and Mexico on board. They’ll have Toronto, Montreal and, well, Edmonton in a country that has embraced the beautiful game.
But they won’t have Vancouver, which is sad. Think of the way we came alive for the Olympics. Think of the way we came alive for the Women’s World Cup. Think of the recently concluded Rugby Sevens and everything it brought to our city. Think of those times we’ve welcomed the world and what it has meant.
Both the NDP and FIFA try to put a dollar figure on that, but this is the beauty of these events.
You can’t.