Van Koeverden promotes fan events, dismisses cost concerns as World Cup kicks off

Canada’s secretary of state for sport has dismissed concerns about the cost of co-hosting the FIFA World Cup and is hyping up the opportunity for Canadians to engage with the tournament across the country.

Adam van Koeverden, a former Olympian, told The Canadian Press Wednesday he is excited for the event to finally start.

“I think as soon as the first whistle blows, people will embrace these next few weeks as one of the coolest sporting opportunities our country has ever seen,” he said.

“We get to host the world’s biggest sporting event this year and also get to watch a really great, exciting Canadian team play, just like we did 10 years ago when the women’s team played in the World Cup that we hosted then.”

Canada is co-hosting the FIFA World Cup with the United States and Mexico. It begins Thursday and runs through July 19. Canada and Mexico are each hosting 13 of the 104 matches, with the U.S. hosting the rest.

Canadian organizers have faced questions about the cost to co-host the games, the affordability of ticket prices and the potential return on investment.

In a report last month, the parliamentary budget officer estimated the federal government’s contribution at $473 million, with another $593 million funded by other levels of government.

The PBO said Canada’s costs are roughly in line with what was spent per game on previous World Cup tournaments. Van Koeverden defended the spending.

“We’ve improved the infrastructure in Toronto and Vancouver, we’ve made BC Place more accessible, doubled the number of elevators there. We’ve improved the type of events it can host,” van Koeverden said.

“It’s a very, very prudent investment in security, investing in the operations of these games. And look, Canada is the best sport-hosting nation in the world. And these investments are going to go a really, really long way in providing free access.”

Van Koeverden said he’s most looking forward to the fan experiences during the tournament.

“There’s so many great free fan experiences. And not just in Vancouver and Toronto, but in towns and cities across the country,” he said.

An Angus Reid poll released this week suggested 70 per cent of residents in Toronto and Vancouver say the public costs of hosting are not worth the disruption.

To that, van Koeverden said, “Let the games begin.”

“This is such a great opportunity for people to get out there and enjoy themselves. People will be concerned about traffic, people will be concerned about crowds. This is an exciting time. Let’s embrace it.”

Van Koeverden compared the anxiety of hosting a major event to that of the days leading up to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

“Before the Olympics, before the opening ceremony, it’s always doom and gloom. The medals didn’t make Vancouver’s investment and Canada’s investment in the 2010 Olympics worth it. What made it worth it is the investments in infrastructure, the lasting legacy,” he said.

“The 5,000 people that volunteered and continue to wear their jackets around Vancouver with pride and say, ‘I got something out of the Vancouver Olympics because I was I was proud to be Canadian, proud to be British Columbian, proud to volunteer and contribute, and those are lasting memories that my family and I share for the rest of their lives.’

“Go to Vancouver and go find somebody in a blue jacket in 2026 and ask them if they think that investment was worth it. They’ll say yes.”

Reports this week also suggested hotels in Canada’s host cities are only half-booked. But van Koeverden said there’s more to the games’ effect on the hospitality sector than just accommodations.

“Those patios are going to be packed. Not just on one night, not just on the days that there’s teams playing in Canada. But on a daily basis for six weeks, sports fans are going to be out and about,” he said.

“And that’s what we need. That’s what we dreamt about during the pandemic, being able to go out and interact, be on patios, have fun, watch a sport that we love. Even if you don’t know everything about soccer, like, whatever, it’s going to be fun to get out there.”

Conservative MP Richard Martel, speaking in French, said an event like this brings a lot of things to a host country and it’s unfortunate ticket prices have left some unable to attend games. But he said he thinks the cost is “justified.”

Ticket prices for the World Cup have placed them out of reach for many Canadians. Ticket resale prices have come down over recent weeks.

Asked if Ottawa could have done more to make the live matches more accessible, van Koeverden said FIFA sets the ticket prices. He pointed to the federal government’s move to purchase 5,000 tickets to get kids and their families out to Canada’s pre-tournament friendly matches in Montreal, Toronto and Edmonton.

“I went online and checked some prices. There’s tickets available for $500 to $600,” he said.

“I know that’s a lot of money, but it is very comparable to … the NBA Finals or the World Series last year. This is a World Cup. Usually when things start with ‘World’ they become a little bit expensive.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 11, 2026.