World Cup 2026: Vancouver match a ‘jackpot’ for Switzerland

Switzerland will face hosts Canada in Vancouver on June 24. Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved

The World Cup is everywhere in Vancouver. For Thomas Schneider, Switzerland’s consul general on the ground, the clash between Switzerland and hosts Canada on June 24 is a stroke of luck. Preparations have been underway for months and hopes remain high for further matches for the Swiss national team on the west coast.

On Granville Street, fans kick a ball between food trucks and photo booths – supporters from around the world gather outside pubs, and on match days, more than 50,000 people flock to the stadium.

Yet just a few streets away, everything seems surprisingly normal.

“To be honest, when I look out of my office window, I don’t really notice much of the World Cup,” says Schneider. His office is located next to Canada Place, where cruise ships dock daily, bringing thousands of tourists into the city. There are lots of people in Vancouver, he notes: “It’s business as usual.”

For Schneider and his team, however, recent months have been anything but routine. Since last autumn, Switzerland’s consulate-general has been preparing for the tournament, holding briefings with organisers, coordinating with police and authorities, and putting measures in place to assist Swiss fans if necessary.

The Swiss consulate-general in Vancouver is situated right next to Canada Place. Svetlana Day / Dreamstime.com

A great opportunity for Switzerland

“We’ve been working intensively on the World Cup for more than half a year,” Schneider says. Even so, he adds, such preparations are part of everyday business for a Swiss mission abroad.

He was particularly pleased with the World Cup group draw last December. The fact that Switzerland will face host nation Canada in Vancouver, of all places, is, in his words, a “jackpot.”

The match presents a great opportunity for Switzerland’s visibility in Canada. Switzerland is currently attracting a lot of attention. Since the draw, the clash between the two countries has been a recurring topic of conversation, both in professional and private settings.

Swiss community in Canada

Canada is home to 41,958 registered Swiss nationals, making it the fifth-largest Swiss community abroad, after France, Germany, the United States and Italy.

Hopes for further Swiss matches in Canada

The local Swiss community is also following the World Cup closely. The consulate-general is providing updates via newsletters, social media and a dedicated World Cup webpage. A Swiss fan zone has been set up in a pub in the city centre.

However, the result against Qatar was a disappointment. Of course, Schneider watched the match. “Expectations were very high,” he says. The late equaliser was “extremely frustrating”. “We were all a bit speechless,” says Schneider. Following the victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina, Switzerland’s chances of topping the group remain intact.

Swiss Abroad and the World Cup

When the Swiss national team takes to the pitch at the 2026 World Cup in the US, it will not only be playing in front of fans who have travelled there especially for the tournament. Many Swiss Abroad living in the US and Canada will also be cheering them on.

Ahead of the World Cup, Swissinfo spoke to Swiss nationals in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Vancouver – three cities where the Swiss national team will be playing during the tournament. What’s their experience of the World Cup in their new home? And what does it mean to suddenly see Switzerland playing on their doorstep?

We began with a Swiss family in Silicon Valley.

We then talked to Micky Hohl in LA

The last Group B match is:

Switzerland – Canada, June 24, Vancouver

These hopes are not entirely selfless: if Switzerland finish top, the round of 32 would also take place in Vancouver. With further victories, a third match in the city would even be possible.

“We’re naturally planning for that in the back of our minds,” Schneider says with a laugh, while stressing he doesn’t want to put too much pressure on the Swiss national team.

He is convinced, though: “Vancouver is a cool city and an ideal World Cup venue.” The sea, the mountains and the well-located stadium are just some of its advantages.

A lifelong football fan

Consul-General Thomas Schneider zVg

The World Cup occupies the Swiss consulate-general not only for professional reasons. Schneider himself is a passionate football fan. He grew up in Muri near Bern city, where his father was president of FC Muri-Gümligen.

“I always say I was born on the football pitch,” he says.

During his long career with the Swiss foreign ministry, Schneider has already experienced a World Cup at a diplomatic posting, in France in 1998, where he even managed to get tickets for the final in Paris and witness the host nation’s triumph.

In 2022, he supported Switzerland as a fan in Qatar. Now he is looking forward to the match at the BC Place Vancouver stadium.

Ticket frustration despite World Cup euphoria

Not all Swiss expats in Vancouver have been as fortunate. Securing tickets has proven difficult – and expensive.

“It’s practically impossible to get tickets, and the prices are crazy,” wrote one Swiss woman from Vancouver. Schneider confirms that high prices are deterring many fans from attending matches at the stadium.

Join the debate:

No one knows exactly how many Swiss supporters will travel to Canada specifically for the game. Schneider reckons around 4,000, but even that is business as usual.

“There’s a daily direct flight from Zurich to Vancouver. With around 10,000 Swiss tourists a year, we’re used to having compatriots here,” says Schneider.

As the match approaches, one thing is paramount for Schneider: “I’m expecting a football festival.” The conditions are favourable and Switzerland still has every chance of progressing – they just need to deliver.

Schneider is confident they can. When asked about his favourite player, he replies without hesitation: Breel Embolo. “He’s an interesting character off the pitch too,” he says. Schneider likes players with personality, and hopes that Embolo and his teammates will provide some great World Cup moments in Vancouver.

Edited by Marc Leutenegger/Translated from German, sub-edited by Simon Bradley/amva