City, B.C., First Nations in push to keep Whitecaps in Vancouver ‘for generations’

VANCOUVER — The City of Vancouver, the B.C. government, First Nations and the Crown corporation that owns BC Place say they are working with “private partners” to keep the Whitecaps soccer team in the city.

A joint statement by the group says they are working on improving the “game-day economic model” at the stadium, but it does not identify the private investors.

It also says they are advancing work on a potential new stadium.

The group, which includes the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations and stadium company PavCo, says it is working with the federal government, although it is not listed among those issuing the statement.

It says they are committed to keeping the Major League Soccer team in Vancouver for “generations to come.”

The Whitecaps team has been up for sale since December 2024, and an investor group recently submitted a bid to MLS seeking to buy the club and move it to Las Vegas.

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

The Canadian Press