With the clock ticking down on the 2026 FIFA World Cup, security experts say there are key lessons to learn from shocking scenes at the Copa America final on Sunday.
The championship match between Argentina and Colombia was delayed for more than an hour after thousands of ticketless fans stormed the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, trying to force their way in through air vents and over fences.
In less than two years, Vancouver’s BC Place is slated to play host to seven games in the men’s World Cup, and security is expected to be key concern and major cost driver.
Security expert Jim Hayes with Guidepost Solutions said planners should keep the scenes in Miami in mind as they gear up for those games.
“The one thing we are still learning about in the United States is the passion that these international soccer fans bring to these matches, when you are pitting countries against each other,” he said
“We are going to have to increase the security profile for these types of events and treat them as what they are, they are global events with massive magnitude and reach.”
In a statement Monday, B.C.’s Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport said it was working with the City of Vancouver, Vancouver police and RCMP.
“BC Place is a world-renowned event-hosting venue and has a long history of safe event delivery. Many detailed plans are taking shape with regards to crowd management, and the preparations for the flows we anticipate at the FWC26,” it said.
In April, the B.C. government revealed that the costs to host the World Cup had essentially doubled and were estimated at between $483 million and $581 million. The financial implications of tournament security remain unclear, and the federal government has said security will be among the services it provides.
FIFA is expected to impose much stricter policies than Copa America, meaning higher security costs.
“Premier (John) Horgan was worried about a blank cheque, and you are starting to see some of the worries come true,” BC United Finance Critic Peter Milobar told Global News.
One aspect that could further complicate Vancouver’s security concerns is the location of BC Place Stadium in the centre of the city’s downtown core.
“You’ve got massive both vehicle and pedestrian traffic, and it becomes much more difficult because you could just be driving down the street and boom, you’re right next to the venue,” Hayes said.
“There are definitely greater challenges with securing that type of venue than when you can create a buffer zone.”
Hayes added that the growing size and complexity of major event security requires an increasingly large workforce, something venues are struggling to assemble at a price they can afford.
Vancouver will host its first game on June 18, 2026.
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