Stakeholders meet as efforts continue to keep Whitecaps in Vancouver

VANCOUVER — The Vancouver Whitecaps say talks on keeping the Major League Soccer team in Vancouver are continuing following another meeting of key stakeholders.

The Whitecaps said Thursday that club and MLS officials recently met with government representatives and leaders from the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations to discuss the team’s future in Vancouver.

A separate statement released by federal Housing Minister Gregor Robertson said participants reaffirmed their commitment to keeping the Whitecaps in Vancouver.

“There was a clear consensus around the table: everyone is wearing the same jersey and working toward the same goal,” Robertson said in the joint statement.

Robertson said the group reviewed opportunities to improve revenue generation, discussed potential stadium sites and examined ways to engage prospective ownership groups.

The Whitecaps said attracting a credible local ownership group remains a priority.

“A Vancouver solution remains our primary goal,” the club said. “Achieving it will require the full commitment of the entire community.”

The Whitecaps have been up for sale since December 2024, with ownership citing challenges around stadium control and revenue at BC Place, while a U.S.-based investor group has submitted a bid to move the team to Las Vegas.

The club’s ownership group has said more than 100 potential buyers have been contacted, but no local ownership solution has emerged under the current business model.

Whitecaps chief executive officer and sporting director Axel Schuster has said the club needs significant improvements in revenue from tickets, parking, concessions, sponsorship and stadium operations in order to remain viable in Vancouver.

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