The ongoing uncertainty surrounding the Vancouver Whitecaps has reached a new level as both the club and MLS have shown increasing concern with the stadium situation.
Negotiations between WhiteCaps and PavCo on a short-term solution to have the MLS club play at BC Place don’t appear to be close, per CEO Axel Schuster, with the 2026 season just under a month away.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO 1130 NEWSRADIO VANCOUVER LIVE!The club continues to operate under its existing agreement, which is unfeasible financially, according to Schuster.
“We had really friendly, good conversations with PavCo and BC Place,” Schuster said in a media availability on Friday. “We have the feeling that’s really the best they can offer us. From our side, it feels like there’s nothing left. The progress has come to an end. PavCo and BC Place really tried to put their best effort into it. It still leaves us in a very difficult situation. It leaves us in a situation where we cannot play all games in BC Place.”
With the FIFA World Cup coming to Vancouver this year, the Whitecaps will play eight of the first nine MLS matches at home, followed by nearly three months on the road while BC Place is being used for the marquee international tournament.
In a statement provided to Sportsnet, Major League Soccer echoed the concerns, saying the viability of playing at BC Place isn’t sustainable.
“The Vancouver Whitecaps continue to face unresolved business and stadium challenges that are limiting the club’s long-term future in the city,” the league said. “Operational constraints around scheduling and venue access have intensified in 2026, creating untenable conditions for a major league club, with no clear path forward. This is not fair to the club or its fans.”
In December, the Whitecaps and the City of Vancouver signed a memorandum of understanding to explore a new stadium and entertainment district at Hastings Park.
The team’s current ownership group put the Whitecaps for sale in December 2024. At the time, Schuster said that securing a new stadium is key to attracting a buyer or investor who will keep the club in Vancouver.
“When we announced one year ago that this club was up for sale, I told everyone this is not an end, this is a beginning. A beginning of something new we want to develop, something new we want to build in Vancouver,” he said.
Whitecaps rank last in MLS revenue
According to Schuster, the club’s stadium arrangement with PavCo has emerged as a glaring red flag during those discussions.
“I would say in general we’ve had roughly 100 outreaches,” Schuster said. “We had 30 to almost 40 groups sign an NDA and go into our data room. All of them spent real money doing a full analysis. The reality is that no one is interested in buying even 1 per cent of this club. All of them believe the setup here — the market and the situation we’re in — is not investable.”
Despite being a competitive on-field product, the Whitecaps rank last in MLS revenue. For prospective owners, the numbers simply don’t add up.
They also have to find an MLS-approved stadium to host Leagues Cup matches, while Canadian Championship and Concacaf Champions Cup games would have to be played in an alternate venue in Canada.
“There are a few games that we will not be able to play that we haven’t qualified for yet,” Schuster said. “We’ll have to look at the competition rules and find the most convenient solution for our fans and supporters.”