Calling the FIFA bill “down” is only half the story. The other half is who is being asked to cover it.

The Province, the City of Vancouver and PavCo released their updated FIFA World Cup 2026 cost projections Friday, less than two weeks before Vancouver’s first match. The headline number is the one the NDP wants voters to remember: projected net core and essential provincial costs are now capped at $114 million, down from the 2025 high estimate of $145 million.

But that “net” number comes after offsets. The same provincial release says the Major Events Municipal and Regional District Tax — a hotel-room tax in Vancouver — remains the largest single revenue source dedicated to offsetting gross World Cup costs. It also says the Government of Canada is providing as much as $116 million for operations and infrastructure and intends to provide another $100 million to B.C. to help offset safety and security costs.

That is not magic savings. It is a public bill shifted among levels of government and partly charged through visitors’ accommodation taxes. Premier David Eby’s government can claim disciplined financial management, but the fine print says Ottawa is being asked to absorb another nine-figure chunk of a tournament B.C. chose to host.

The security number should stop any victory lap. The update estimates combined local and provincial safety-and-security costs at approximately $242 million. That is only one component of the hosting package, and it exists before the public sees the final after-action accounting for police, traffic, emergency management and venue operations.

Vancouver’s side of the ledger is not shrinking either. The same May 29 update says the City of Vancouver is projecting core and essential costs in the range of $320 million to $338 million to deliver seven matches and related events, including the FIFA Fan Festival. That is a major public commitment for a short tournament window, even if the province forecasts long-term tourism benefits and roughly $1 billion in GDP during and after the event.

The Fan Festival illustrates the political problem. The City and Province announced free access to the Hastings Park festival and free first-come-first-served match viewing areas in March. Daily Hive reported this week that paid amphitheatre tickets were a tough sell on many dates, while noting that much of the festival remains free. If demand is uneven, taxpayers should not be left with promotional talking points instead of clear cost accountability.

None of this means Vancouver cannot host a successful tournament. It means the public deserves honesty about the bill. “Costs down” is not enough when the same documents show a $242-million safety-and-security estimate, a city host budget above $300 million, hotel-tax dependence and a new $100-million federal offset. The NDP did not make FIFA cheap. It made the accounting more complicated.

Sources and records