FIFA World Cup: Canada goes for first win in Vancouver. Follow live updates here.

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Canada takes on Qatar at BC Place today

Alphonso Davies cleared to play against Qatar

FIFA putting Vancouver in the spotlight

Gearing up for Canada vs. Qatar

Thousands of fans expected to flock Granville Street

CTV National News: Thousands flock to Vancouver for Canada's game against Qatar

Canada’s second match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup is also Vancouver’s second.

B.C. Place is set to transform into a sea of red this afternoon as the co-hosts take on Qatar in Group B action. Kickoff is at 3 p.m. PT.

• LIVE on TSN.CA: Canada vs. Qatar (subscribe to watch)
• Where to watch FIFA World Cup matches in Metro Vancouver
• A look at the seven World Cup games to be played at Vancouver’s BC Place
• A look at how Canada could work its way through the FIFA World Cup

Follow along here for live updates throughout the day and after the final whistle:

12:00 p.m. PT: Group B’s other match underway

Canada’s other Group B opponents, Switzerland and Bosnia and Herzegovina, have kicked off their match in Los Angeles.

The Swiss drew 1-1 with Qatar in their opening match, leaving all four teams in the group tied at one point apiece. If either Switzerland or Bosnia and Herzegovina wins today’s match, they will claim three points and take the lead in Group B, putting pressure on Canada and Qatar to keep up.

Ian Holliday, CTVNewsVancouver.ca

11:35 a.m. PT: Rehearsals underway inside B.C. Place

Under four hours to kickoff and preparations are well underway at B.C. Place in Vancouver for Canada vs. Qatar. The flag ceremony and player introductions are being rehearsed on the field, and there are hundreds of staff and volunteers onsite.

There is also a heavy security presence, which will likely be heightened after the announcement that Prime Minister Mark Carney will be at tonight’s crucial Group B match.

In about two hours, thousands of Canadian fans will march together from the area near Science World, where the iconic dome built for Expo 86 has been transformed into a giant soccer ball.

Excitement is high in the city, where fans hope to witness history with Canada’s first-ever World Cup win for the men’s team.

Andrew Johnson, CTV National News

10:30 a.m. PT: Police preparations underway

Police are out in force ahead of the Canada-Qatar match in Vancouver.

A staging area for officers, including RCMP and Vancouver police, at the southern foot of the Cambie Bridge is a hive of activity.

On- and off-ramps for the bridge, the closest downtown crossing to BC Place stadium, are already shut, and organizers are urging fans to leave their cars at home and take transit before the final walk to the stadium.

The Vancouver Police Department said roughly 1,200 officers were on duty for the first match in the city, crediting the large and visible presence with maintaining public order.

Only two arrests were linked World Cup activity last weekend, one at the FIFA Fan Fest at the PNE and one at BC Place.

Neither incident was violent, according to authorities.

Police from Edmonton and Calgary are among those who have been transported to Vancouver for the tournament.

The total policing price tag has not been revealed.

• ‘Land, sea, and air’: Massive police presence planned for World Cup match day in Vancouver

The Canadian Press and Lisa Steacy, CTVNewsVancouver.ca

10:25 a.m. PT: Long line at Vancouver’s Fan Festival

Fans are already forming a long queue at the official FIFA Fan Festival in East Vancouver, where total tournament attendance is set to surge past the 100,000 mark. Organizers say more than 98,000 fans have attended up to today, with highest attendance of 31,481 on Saturday. Gates opened at the festival at 10 a.m. Pacific time ahead of Switzerland’s match with Bosnia-Herzegovina, followed by the hotly anticipated Canada-Qatar match.

The Canadian Press

10 a.m. PT: Getting around Vancouver

A number of match day road closures are in effect around BC Place stadium today.

In addition, the stretch of Granville Street between Davie and Georgia streets is closed to traffic for the duration of the tournament.

The first match in Vancouver saw transit ridership surge to a level not seen since the 2010 Olympics, and TransLink is reminding anyone heading to the game or to a fan zone or watch party about service changes meant to make it easier and quicker to get around.

Lisa Steacy, CTVNewsVancouver.ca

9:45 a.m. PT: Carney to attend Vancouver World Cup match

Prime Minister Mark Carney is shifting gears today as he goes from one of the world’s largest political events to the world’s biggest sporting event.

Carney is just back from the G7 Summit in France meeting with top world leaders, and is in Vancouver today where he’ll attend the World Cup match between Canada and Qatar.

The Canadian Press

9:40 a.m. PT: Severe weather impacts Toronto watch party

The City of Toronto says the opening of the FIFA Fan Festival will be delayed today due to “impacts of recent severe weather.” In a statement, Sharon Bollenbach, the FIFA World Cup 2026 Toronto Secretariat, said the festival will open at 4 p.m. as more time is needed to get the site ready. Full story here.

Codi Wilson, CTVNewsToronto.ca / CP24.com

9:25 a.m. PT: Eby says World Cup delivering billion-dollar benefit to B.C.

Premier David Eby reaffirmed Thursday that the World Cup will deliver $1 billion in economic spinoffs for the province, telling CTV News much of that revenue will benefit the tourism and hospitality industries.

Other benefits to the province are harder to measure, including “long-term community-building soccer vibes,” Eby said.

Todd Coyne, CTVNewsVancouver.ca

8:20 a.m. PT: What’s at stake today?

The pressure ramps up as the second stage of group-stage games begins at the FIFA World Cup. Thursday’s action features nations in Group A and Group B — including Canada — playing the second of three group-stage games, which will go a long way in determining their chances of advancing to the knockout stage.

As a reminder, the top two teams in each of the 12 groups will earn automatic entries into the Round of 32 with the top eight third-place teams receiving the last spots.

Read a full breakdown of today’s slate on TSN.ca here.

8:15 a.m. PT: How to join the march to BC Place

Members of the Voyageurs — Soccer Canada’s support group that organizes big, loud, colourful marches to national team matches — have flocked to Vancouver for today’s match.

They are inviting anyone who wants to help cheer on the team to join them at Fionn McCool’s Irish Pub near Science World at 12:30 p.m. in advance of a march down the last mile route to BC Place stadium.

Shannon Paterson, CTVNewsVancouver.ca

8:10 a.m. PT: Alphonso Davies cleared to play

Canadian men’s soccer team captain Alphonso Davies has the green light to play in today’s World Cup match against Qatar in Vancouver.

But will he?

The Canadian Press

8 a.m. PT: Canada proving a worthy host country, FIFA vice-president says

Despite the naysayers, FIFA vice-president Victor Montagliani says he knew Canada had a shot at hosting the World Cup from the beginning.

The CONCACAF president, who grew up in East Vancouver, was one of the leading voices behind Canada’s bid in 2012, and now the vision is coming to fruition 14 years later.

“I think our country is built on immigrants, and this sport really reflects that,” he told CTV Your Morning Vancouver on Thursday, ahead of Team Canada’s first match in the city.

“The hardest challenge was making sort of the leaders of certain institutions understand what this could mean, but to their credit they bought in … and obviously now we’re seeing the fruits of that labour.”

• Read more : Canadians ‘opened their arms to the world,’ FIFA vice-president says

Kaija Jussinoja, CTVNewsVancouver.ca

7:40 a.m. PT: ‘We Play Together. We Stand Against Hate.’

Teams playing World Cup matches today will take part in an International Day for Countering Hate Speech commemoration, with captains exchanging pennants bearing the message “We Play Together. We Stand Against Hate.”

FIFA says it has deleted more than 30 million abusive social media posts and comments since launching its protection service before the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The governing body says nearly 400,000 negative or abusive posts have already been removed during the opening days of this year’s tournament.

-The Canadian Press

6:50 a.m. PT: All-expenses-paid trip to Vancouver

Qatar didn’t just bring a team to Vancouver — it paid to bring a cheering section, too. About 1,000 fans arrived on an all-expenses-paid trip funded through a Qatari government-backed program, filling downtown hotels and adding a soundtrack of traditional darbuka drums ahead of tonight’s World Cup match against Canada.

The Canadian Press

5:55 a.m. PT: World Cup action continues

World Cup action continues Thursday with Czechia facing South Africa at noon in Atlanta, followed by Switzerland against Bosnia-Herzegovina at 3 p.m. in Inglewood, Calif. Canada meets Qatar at 6 p.m. in Vancouver with both sides chasing their first World Cup victory after opening-round draws.

The day’s schedule wraps up at 9 p.m. in Guadalajara, Mexico, where Mexico takes on South Korea in a matchup that could decide control of Group A.

The Canadian Press

5:40 a.m. PT: How the teams are positioned

Both countries drew 1-1 in their opening matches of the tournament. Canada trailed Bosnia and Herzegovina from the 21st minute until Cyle Larin scored the equalizer in the 78th.

Qatar trailed even longer in its opener against Switzerland, falling behind in the 17th minute and drawing level through an own-goal in the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time.

The results left all four nations in Group B tied on one point apiece, meaning control of the group is up for grabs as Bosnia and Herzegovina takes on Switzerland at noon in Los Angeles.

A first-ever World Cup win for either Canada or Qatar would put the victorious country in an excellent position to advance to the Round of 32. The team that finishes at the top of Group B will play its first knockout match in Vancouver on July 2.

Lisa Steacy, CTVNewsVancouver.ca