FIFA vice president Victor Montagliani urges Canadian politicians to act to save the Vancouver Whitecaps, whose lease at BC Place ends after the 2026 MLS season. The club has been for sale since 2024, with no viable offers received from over 100 interested parties.
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Victor Montagliani believes the onus is on local politicians to save the Vancouver Whitecaps from relocation -Credit:Eva Marie Uzcategui - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images
(Eva Marie Uzcategui - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
The future of the Vancouver Whitecaps appears to be on a knife-edge, with the clubâs lease of its home of 15 years, BC Place, to come to an end following the 2026 MLS season.
With the club having been for sale since 2024, and a recent statement from the Whitecaps indicating that there is no clear end in sight to its ownership or stadium dilemmas, with âno viable offerâ having come from the âmore than 100 partiesâ it has spoken to, the team appeared to concede that its future may lie elsewhere.
This was mirrored by a spokesperson for the MLS who recently told ESPN, âWe remain focused on supporting the club in identifying a sustainable long-term solution, and our preference is to find a path that allows the Whitecaps to continue to grow and succeed in Vancouver.
Victor Montagliani stated that local politicians need to take action to save the Vancouver Whitecaps from potential relocation.
The future is uncertain due to the expiration of their lease at BC Place after the 2026 MLS season and ongoing ownership and stadium issues.
The Vancouver Whitecaps have been for sale since 2024.
The club has received no viable offers despite discussions with over 100 interested parties, indicating significant ownership challenges.
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The Whitecaps' lease of BC Place will come to a close after the 2026 MLS season -Credit:Elizabeth Ruiz Ruiz/Getty Images
âAt the same time, we have a responsibility to ensure the long-term health of the league and its clubs, and we will evaluate all options, including interest that has been expressed in the club from other markets and investor groups.â
Clearly infuriated with the handling of the situation surrounding the Whitecaps, FIFA vice president and CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani told The Athletic that local politicians should shoulder much of the blame for the current uncertainty, and that it's far beyond time to act.
âThe frustrating part for me is the fans get it, our soccer community gets it. But what Iâm hoping now, with this alarm bell thatâs gone off, is that our politicians wake up to it,â he said.
âIt is the biggest community asset we have. And the other (Vancouver-based) professional clubs are the same, theyâve been around forever â the (BC) Lions and the (Vancouver) Canucks.
âSo, itâs very frustrating that leaders, mainly political leaders, donât get it. They donât get the equity of these clubs. And the virtue signaling of saying, âOh, taxpayer money.â Well, if youâre really worried about the taxpayer, youâd do a better job in other areas.â
Montagliani, who previously worked as the president of both the British Columbia Soccer Association and the Canada Soccer Association, is far from the first high-profile figure to call for action to save the Whitecaps from relocation.
In a video shared on social media, B.C. Premier David Eby said, âTo every Whitecaps fan in British Columbia and around the world, I want you to know we are working hard to save the WhitecapsâŠ
âWe have the World Cup coming. We are a world-class football town. Losing the Whitecaps is not an option. I saw the shots of the fans out at the rally to save the Whitecaps. We are on the same side. We will fight hard to save our team.â
Unfortunately, somewhat undermining the seriousness of Ebyâs message, MLS commissioner Don Garberâs account was subsequently hacked, commenting on the video, âLiar liar pants on fire.â
Whitecaps fans have been outspoken in their desire for the club to secure its long-term future in Vancouver -Credit:Rich Lam/Getty Images
Garber later posted, âMy account was compromised earlier this evening. The issue has been resolved. I appreciate Premier Eby for taking the time to meet with me today.â
Meanwhile, Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim recently penned a press release titled âSave The Caps,â in which he said, âBC Place is owned and operated by the Provincial Government. In fact, itâs the only stadium owned and operated by a government found anywhere in the MLS.
âIn order for the team to stay in Vancouver, the Whitecaps and Province must sign a bridge deal that will allow BC Place to become viable in the near term while a new stadium can be designed and built.
âSo today, we are calling on the teamâs ownership to publicly and clearly articulate what they need to stay here in Vancouver, and we are calling on the Provincial Government to come to the table and make that a reality.â
One potential location for such a new stadium could be Hastings Park, with the City having already agreed to a Memorandum of Understanding in December, allowing the sides a negotiation period that will run through 2026 to discuss the potential of using the site for not only a stadium but also an adjacent entertainment district.