Police report no major incidents at Vancouver’s first World Cup game at BC Place

Police in Vancouver say there were no major incidents during the city’s first ever World Cup game between Australia and Turkey, as visitors and foreign media are praising the host city for BC Place and the atmosphere.

A Vancouver Police Department statement says one person was arrested at the fan festival at the Pacific National Exhibition for being in breach of court-imposed conditions, but not the event itself.

It says that a second person was removed from BC Place during the match for being too intoxicated and refusing to leave.

The statement says that considering the size of the event, two arrests is minimal and would be a small number even for a regular Saturday night.

Sgt. Adam Donaldson, media relations officer, says police presence is the best way to prevent any public disorder, and that is what happened.

Donaldson says up to 1,200 officers were deployed throughout the day, adding that police had advance notice for fan marches to the stadium.

He says that police worked with march organizers to determine numbers and route, and assigned officers to ensure safety.

“Every Vancouver police officer that can work was working, and we have help from the RCMP as well as Calgary police, Edmonton police, and transit police,” he says.

Vancouver will host its next match on Thursday, June 18, when Canada hosts Qatar.

The first of seven matches to be played at BC Place was officially sold out, with an attendance of 52,497 and the finale whistle left Australian fans ecstatic as their Socceroos beat the favoured Turkish national team 2 goals to nil.

Australian fans were celebrating their team’s victory through the night, after packing beer gardens during the day.

Turkish fans, while disappointed, also made themselves heard before and during the game, and were often seen celebrating with Australian fans before the game, while waiting to enter BC Place.

The Athletic, an online sports publication based in the United States, had high marks for the stadium, writing that the freshly laid grass surface from a farm in the Fraser Valley looked sublime in transforming BC Place.

The publication also highlighted Vancouver’s natural beauty.

The Athletic’s rave review of Vancouver matches a recent ranking from Sports Illustrated, which declared Vancouver the best World Cup host city.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 14, 2026.