‘The energy’s amazing’: World Cup fever arrives in Vancouver

People on the streets of Vancouver say the energy is similar to the 2010 Olympic Games. Andrew Johnson reports.

VANCOUVER – The World Cup has arrived on the west coast, and the signs were impossible to miss Saturday afternoon on Granville Street.

Fans from around the world gathered along a temporarily vehicle-free stretch of the iconic entertainment corridor, taking in the soccer-themed installations and watch parties that are part of Metro Vancouver’s lengthy slate of FIFA offerings.

“We’ve been to the FIFA fan festival and Granville Island watch party,” said Irem Cingoz, a fan who travelled from Melbourne, Australia. “The energy’s amazing. The city’s well prepared and everyone is so happy for the World Cup so far.”

Saturday night, about 50,000 fans will fill nearby BC Place as Australia and Türkiye kick off their FIFA journey on a newly-planted grass pitch ready to be match-tested for the first time. The playing surface is part of nearly $200 million in upgrades to the 43-year-old building to meet FIFA standards.

Among those enjoying the vibe on Granville Saturday afternoon, both the Australians and Turks were well represented. One Aussie, Mick Mattingly, says he and his brother have been dreaming about this moment since they were children.

“It’s pretty awesome. We’ve looked forward to it for a long time,” he said.

Mert Ozturk made the trip from Calgary. He is originally from Istanbul and feels the same way.

“We are over the moon, we are so excited,” he said.

Soccer’s governing body has taken heat for record-high ticket prices across the 16 host cities in Canada, the U.S., and Mexico. In Toronto, during Canada’s match with Bosnia-Herzegovina on Friday, there were some visible empty seats.

Demand for tickets in Vancouver has been strong, but some seats remained available on both FIFA’s official ticket portal and the resale market on the morning of Vancouver’s opening match.

Upper-level tickets for Australia versus Türkiye were listed for about $530 through FIFA’s site, while lower-bowl seats were available for approximately $630. Resale listings on StubHub were generally in a similar price range, although some sellers were asking substantially more.

The next match in Vancouver is a big one Thursday, when the Canadians host Qatar. After Canada’s dramatic tournament-opening draw they’re still looking for their first-ever World Cup win, which may be necessary to advance to the knockout round.

After that, the Canadians will take the field one more time in Vancouver during the group stage, in a June 24 match against the Group B favourites from Switzerland.