Thousands march to BC Place as Canada faces Qatar in World Cup
A massive crowd of Canadian fans heads to the stadium ahead of the men's team's second match.
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Thousands of Canadian fans marched toward BC Place on Thursday, June 18 ahead of Canada's FIFA Men's World Cup match against Qatar, with a sea of red flowing past Science World—recently converted into a giant soccer ball—on the way to the stadium entrance.
BC Place was expected to be a sellout with roughly 52,497 fans, the same capacity announced for Vancouver's first men's World Cup match last Saturday between Australia and Türkiye. About 1,000 Qatar fans were given free transportation and accommodation for the match, though some of those tickets were picked up by Canadian supporters.
Canada is seeking its first-ever win at a FIFA Men's World Cup. A victory would largely cement the team's place in the Round of 32, especially after Bosnia and Herzegovina lost 4-1 to Switzerland earlier Thursday. Before that result, all teams were tied with one point.
Qatar cannot be overlooked—they managed a 94th-minute draw against Switzerland with a goal from Miro Muheim.