Bob Mackin
Almost two years after Seattle city council published its FIFA World Cup 26 hosting contract, City of Vancouver has finally provided its copy to theBreaker.news.
It happened July 15, after a legal battle involving the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC) and lawyers for the City of Vancouver, British Columbia government, B.C. Pavilion Corp., FIFA, Canadian Soccer Association, Vancouver International Airport and an unnamed third-party.
The OIPC adjudicator, Elizabeth Vranjkovic, ruled June 2 that the city must release the document to theBreaker.news, which applied for a copy more than three years ago. Vranjkovic decided against city hall’s claim that disclosure would cause it and FIFA financial harm.
What’s missing
Only one paragraph from the 98-page host city agreement remains censored: the second last clause in the Controlled Area section. Vranjkovic ruled that it should still be protected for reasons of security and third-party trade secrets.
Comparing a key section of Seattle and Vancouver’s FIFA contracts. (City of Seattle/City of Vancouver)
However, clause 8.3(iv)d is visible in Seattle’s contract, which states: “Controlled Area must be subject to strict traffic restrictions in order to ensure regulated and controlled access and circulation only, including the establishment of access permission systems and its enforcement through access permit controls by the relevant public authorities.”
According to FIFA, the Controlled Area “is an area (such as temporary parking areas used on Match Days, open outdoor spaces, entertainment areas or arenas) located directly adjacent to the Outer Stadium Perimeter and in which certain commercial and other activities are prohibited on Match Days and the days prior to Match Days to ensure the smooth implementation of the organization of the Matches and protect the rights of the Commercial Affiliates.”.
Why it matters
B.C. Place Stadium is one of the trickiest 2026 venues for security and transportation planners because it is wedged in Downtown Vancouver with commercial and residential towers on three sides and several pinch points for motorists and pedestrians.
By comparison, tournament final venue MetLife Stadium is surrounded by suburban parking lots, near an interstate freeway in New Jersey.
FIFA requires traffic closures in a wide area around the stadium on each of Vancouver’s seven match days and one day before each match day.
That means 14 days of closures in Vancouver, where residents await details from city hall.
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