Energy reached a fever pitch in downtown Vancouver on Saturday as the city prepared to host its first World Cup match at B.C. Place Stadium. Thousands of soccer fans, dressed in jerseys and waving flags, crowded into the entertainment district for sunny pre-game celebrations.
Granville Street Becomes Pedestrian Zone
Five blocks of Granville Street were shut down to create a pedestrian zone, where families and fans enjoyed activities such as writing their names on a large art installation and playing table soccer. The atmosphere was electric, with fans spilling out of bars and cafes, chatting and cheering.
A group of Australians outside the Dublin Calling pub chanted “Aussie Aussie Aussie,” one of them beating a drum. Tom Walker and Vanessa Zoghbi flew from New York to watch their country play in the Australia-Turkey opener. Dressed in yellow and green, Walker carried a blow-up yellow kangaroo. “Australians aren’t known for soccer,” Walker said. “We will be happy if we see a goal today, very very happy.” Zoghbi added, “I really love it here. The weather is perfect for today. We got to see so much just in the last 24 hours because of how close the stadium is to the city.”
Fans from Around the World
Turkish-born Hakan Ceylan flew in from Germany, where he lives with his family. “I don’t think Turkey is going to win the whole thing, I came here to celebrate soccer,” he said, though he predicted a Turkish victory over Australia. “Soccer is the No. 1 sport in Turkey,” he added. “I had a FaceTime with my daughter an hour ago, I told her and my wife — go look for tickets to Vancouver, we are going to come back here together this summer.” Ceylan described Vancouver as a great city with beautiful forests and nature, noting, “There is some crime here and there, and homeless people, but it feels relatively very safe.” He expressed excitement that Turkey is in the World Cup again after missing out in 2022.
Perfect Weather for Celebrations
Fans were greeted with sunshine and above-seasonal temperatures hovering around 23 C, with inland areas reaching 29 C. Sunday is expected to be even warmer, with temperatures up to 31 C inland, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada.
Match Day Logistics
The first of seven World Cup matches in Vancouver kicked off Saturday night at B.C. Place Stadium. To manage crowds, traffic closures and detours were implemented downtown, along with a pedestrian-only corridor along False Creek between Science World and B.C. Place, dubbed the Last Mile, which served as the only entry point for ticket holders.
Watch parties were held throughout Metro Vancouver, including at Canada Soccer House in North Vancouver, where fans gathered to watch Team Canada play Bosnia-Herzegovina in a 1-1 tie.
With the city buzzing, Vancouver proved it is ready to host the world’s biggest sporting event.
