World Cup, no thanks

Anybody who still believes the provincial government was wrong to turn down a bid to co-host the 2026 World Cup of soccer should watch the video of a top FIFA executive member being arrested in his underwear at a five-star Zurich hotel in 2015.

FIFA is an organization the Province of British Columbia should avoid doing business with.

FIFA has long been plagued with scandals, bribes and corruption — they’re even worse than the International Olympic Committee.

In total, 40 FIFA officials were charged in 2015 with a corruption scandal that rocked the soccer world.

Vancouver was one of four Canadian cities invited to participate in a North American bid, along with Mexico and the U.S., to host up to three games in what’s the biggest sporting event in the world.

But, when PavCo, the Crown corporation which manages B.C. Place did a risk analysis, there wasn’t enough in it for the people of British Columbia other than bragging rights.

The Province of B.C. would be responsible for building a contingency field, just in case something went wrong with B.C. Place. A second source of electricity would be required, plus an upgrade to the field. Advertising, both in and around the stadium, they say would be controlled by FIFA.

When the three games were over, all profits would go to FIFA.

It’s a steep price to pay for the enjoyment of a few who can afford an expensive World Cup ticket. There’s also no evidence to suggest the games staged in Canada would be marquee match-ups.

Premier John Horgan basically said, “it would be nice, but, no thanks.”

Chicago, Minneapolis and Phoenix also feel the same way.

Surprisingly, the cash-conscious B.C. Liberals are criticizing the NDP for turning down the offer to co-host. This would be a case of reckless spending.

The deal is still on the table for Toronto, Montreal and Edmonton.

Sports franchises and forprofit tournaments are continually demanding more of cities and other levels of government. The City of Penticton famously lost Ironman Canada in 2013 due, in part, to an increasing list of financial demands. (In hindsight, Penticton should have kept Ironman.)

Vancouver has already hosted a Winter Olympics and enjoys successful CFL and NHL franchises. The World Cup would have packed hotels for three nights. It would have the same economic short-term windfall to host a week-long stand of The Rolling Stones or U2. It would have the same result.

There’s no evidence that sports fans return to a city following a major event.

Los Angeles hosted the World Cup of soccer in 1994 but much of the hype was lost due to another high-profile occurrence in the city — the murders of Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman. Greece never recovered financially after hosting the 2004 Summer Olympics. The Greeks thought Olympic tourists would return for repeat visits. They never did.

Kudos to Vancouver (and Chicago, Minneapolis and Phoenix) for standing up to FIFA. Now, if only other cities will do the same.