B.C. Place Nears Completion of 2026 World Cup Upgrades

Vancouver's B.C. Place Stadium has completed most of its upgrades for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with final touches underway one month before the tournament begins in host cities across Canada, the United States and Mexico.

Chris May, the stadium's general manager, announced the progress at a press conference on Wednesday. "I'm very pleased to share that final touches are being completed on our stadium upgrades and renovations, and that we continue to remain on time and on budget," May said. Construction, which has featured hard hats and orange cones for over a year, includes three new elevators, an upgraded scoreboard, renovated locker rooms and a temporary grass playing surface replacing the artificial turf.

The expanded 48-team tournament, the largest in history, starts June 11 in Mexico City and Guadalajara with 104 matches across 16 venues. B.C. Place will host seven games, beginning with a group-stage match between Australia and Turkey on June 13. Canada opens its schedule June 12 against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto, then plays its remaining group games in Vancouver.

Trey Rogers, a turfgrass expert from Michigan State University and the University of Tennessee, led the...