Two Vancouver fields to see upgrades for FIFA World Cup training sites

Two Vancouver fields to be upgraded for 2026 FIFA World Cup training sites

Artistic renderings of Killarney Park and Memorial South Park as the training sites for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. (City of Vancouver)

Visiting national teams playing at BC Place Stadium during the 2026 FIFA World Cup will have access to these two official training site locations within South Vancouver neighbourhoods.

The City of Vancouver announced today that Killarney Park and Memorial South Park will be designated as Vancouver’s two official training sites for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

To suit the needs of the world’s best soccer athletes and to follow FIFA venue requirements, both sites will undergo major upgrades, including the installation of FIFA-calibre natural grass, field lighting, and team facilities, such as locker rooms and a press conference room.

Both sites are also expected to be highly secure with an enclosed perimeter.

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The public will not have access to the area of these training sites during the construction and tournament periods. This means there will be some impacts on the public and organized sports teams.

The municipal government states that over the coming months, it will “work with various permitted and non-permitted sport, education, and community groups to find appropriate locations to suit their needs.”

The list of countries using these training sites will not be confirmed until the FIFA Final Draw, scheduled for late 2025.

killarney park memorial park south vancouver 2026 fifa world cup training site

Locations of Memorial South Park (left) and Killarney Park (right), which will be upgraded for their use as the training sites of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and the driving times between both parks. (Google Maps)

The Killarney Park training site is located at the southwest corner of the intersection of Rupert Street and East 45th Avenue in the Killarney neighbourhood, located immediately adjacent to Killarney Community Centre and Killarney Secondary School.

This will be the second time Killarney Park has played host to a training site of a major international sports event, as the community centre’s Killarney Rink was constructed as the speed skating practice venue for the 2010 Winter Olympics.

The practice soccer pitch will be built on Killarney Park’s north field — currently configured for baseball and softball — immediately north of Killarney Pool. Preliminary conceptual artistic renderings suggest the existing gravel field further to the north will be used as an area for coach bus parking and loading.

Existing condition of Killarney Park:

Existing condition of Killarney Park, Vancouver. (Google Maps)

Future condition of Killarney Park for the 2026 FIFA World Cup:

killarney park vancouver 2026 fifa world cup training site

Artistic rendering of Killarney Park as a training site for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. (City of Vancouver)

As for Memorial South Park, it is located just east of the intersection of East 41st Avenue and Fraser Street in the Sunset neighbourhood.

The practice field will be specifically situated at the southern half of Memorial South Park, fronting East 45th Avenue, within the footprint of the existing oval running track.

Existing condition of Memorial South Park’s oval:

Existing condition of Memorial South Park, Vancouver. (Google Maps)

Future condition of Memorial South Park’s oval for the 2026 FIFA World Cup:

memorial park south vancouver 2026 fifa world cup training site

Artistic rendering of Memorial South Park as a training site for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. (City of Vancouver)

During the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Trillium Park and Empire Fields were used as official training sites for the visiting teams.

Construction at both 2026 FIFA World Cup training sites will begin in January 2025 and conclude in time for the FIFA World Cup in June 2026. The fields will return to public use by Fall 2026.

The municipal government further states that further design details of the training sites will be available in August 2024, when the projects are in the development permit stage.

All 16 host cities of the 2026 FIFA World Cup are required to establish official training sites for their visiting teams as part of the venue requirements.

An estimated cost figure of these upgrades was not provided, but it is part of the municipal government’s estimated $230 million share of the costs associated with hosting the FIFA World Cup — about half of the total costs. While the $230 million figure may seem startling to municipal taxpayers, the municipal government’s portion of the costs will be almost entirely covered by the additional temporary 2.5% Major Events Municipal and Regional District tax applied on all hotel and short-term accommodations bookings within Vancouver’s jurisdiction between 2023 until at least 2030.

The estimated total cost, including the municipal portion, is between $483 million and $581 million, with the remainder covered by the provincial and federal governments, FIFA, and locally-driven revenues.

BC Place Stadium in Vancouver during the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup. (BC Place Stadium)

The provincial government is covering the cost of a wide range of upgrades for the 55,000-seat BC Place Stadium, including a new centre scoreboard to replace the existing aging equipment, new fan experience/spectator areas, new and improved elevators for improved accessibility, improved media facilities, overhauled player dressing and changing rooms, and the installation of natural grass.

As announced earlier in 2024, the BC Place Stadium in downtown Vancouver will host a total of seven matches across seven dates spanning from June 13 to July 7, with the last Vancouver match being a coveted knockout Round of 16 match.

In June 2024, the municipal government confirmed the PNE fairgrounds at Hastings Park will be used as the site of Vancouver’s official 2026 FIFA Fan Festival, which will be a five-week-long event — similar to the Live City festivals of the 2010 Winter Olympics — featuring live screenings of the matches, entertainment, and other activations and programming. The selection of the PNE takes advantage of the construction of a $104-million, 10,000-capacity outdoor amphitheatre venue under a landmark mass-timber roof, with construction beginning this past spring expected to reach completion just in time for the event.

Preliminary estimates indicate an average of 15,000 people may attend the fan festival each day.

The tournament will kick off on June 11, 2026 in Mexico City and conclude on July 19, 2026 with the championship final held at New Jersey/New York.

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