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VANCOUVER — Vancouver’s big moment on the World Cup stage is still a day away, but fans brought energy to spare as they watched Canada’s debut match against Bosnia-Herzegovina in Toronto.
There was a packed crowd in the PNE Amphitheatre for Vancouver’s official Fan Festival as they watched the match that ended in a 1-1 draw.
The highlight was a late-game equalizer for Canada that saw the crowd erupt in joy, although extra time failed to break the deadlock.
A smattering of yellow and blue Bosnian jerseys drew some lighthearted boos from among the sea of Canadian red.
Vancouver resident Otavio Ferreira, who has also attended World Cups in South Africa and Brazil, said the brand new $183 million amphitheatre is a “world class” venue.
He said he’s got tickets to see Canada’s next two games against Qatar and Switzerland at BC Place, but he’s a fan of the “vibe” at the fan festival and he’ll be back.
The City of Vancouver has also officially opened its World Cup pedestrian zone running down Granville Street, through the centre of the downtown core.
Selfie stations, foosball tables, an art zone and a celebration of the LGBTQ+ community cover the blocks-long zone.
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim said the atmosphere during the games so far has been “absolutely alive,” and businesses in the area will reap the benefits.
Vancouver hosts its first game of the tournament on Saturday, between Australia and Turkey.
Kristian Jensen from Australia has already checked out Granville Street and was at the Fan Festival to watch Thursday’s second match between South Korea and Czechia.
“The fever is here. We went out to the fan festival yesterday to watch the Korean game. That was a great place to be,” said Jensen.
He’s getting ready to really party tomorrow.
“It’s gonna be a good day, a long day. Start early, the party’s gonna go all day,” said Jensen.
Sim, who was also at the fan festival on Thursday, said he’s confident the city has “something for almost every single fan of football.”
Dozens of police were walking through the Granville Street crowd, while cement safety barriers, painted pink, and white bollards were set up to block traffic.
Aaron Lacey, who manages two Irish pubs on Granville Street, said the buzz has been “just phenomenal,” and he expects the street to be buzzing for the next five weeks of the tournament.
Back at the fan festival, Stefan Eriksson from Chilliwack, B.C., also has plans to attend the Canada-Switzerland match in person later in the tournament but for now he just wants to be around fellow Canadian fans.
“I’ve been waiting for this since I was young, especially to see a World Cup match on home soil,” said Eriksson, who’s a member of The Voyageurs, a Canadian supporter’s group.
“The energy is gonna be incredible,” he said ahead of Friday’s match, adding “allez les rouges!”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 12, 2026.
Brieanna Charlebois and Nono Shen, The Canadian Press
