Canada-Switzerland FIFA World Cup 2026™ match drives nearly 1.4 million boardings across transit system

VANCOUVER, BC – Metro Vancouver’s transit system reached a six-year high on Wednesday, with nearly 1.4 million boardings recorded as fans, commuters, students, and visitors moved across the region during the Canada-Switzerland FIFA World Cup 2026™ match day.

The June 24 ridership milestone marks TransLink’s highest system-wide daily ridership since March 2020, with growth across every mode of transit. SkyTrain and SeaBus saw particularly strong gains as customers travelled to and from BC Place Vancouver, FIFA Fan Festival™ Vancouver, downtown Vancouver, Lonsdale, and other key destinations.

SeaBus service stood out as a key connection for fans, with boardings increasing by more than 80 per cent compared to a typical day. This reflects strong demand for travel between downtown Vancouver and Lonsdale, as customers used transit to move between major event areas and destinations across the North Shore.

For overall context, the Canada-Switzerland match day recorded 859,500 trips across the system. The 2010 Winter Olympics still holds the all-time daily ridership record for Metro Vancouver, with an estimated 1.27 million trips on its busiest day. Since the Olympics, the highest ridership day was September 27, 2019, when 987,000 trips were recorded as the Global Climate Strike took place in downtown Vancouver.

See below for TransLink’s full preliminary ridership report for the FIFA World Cup 2026™ Vancouver match on June 24, 2026:

The continued growth in ridership throughout the tournament demonstrates the essential role transit plays in moving large crowds efficiently, while maintaining reliable service for customers travelling around the region.

TransLink continues to monitor ridership trends and adjust service where needed to support customers during FIFA World Cup 2026™ to ensure people can get to matches, fan events, work, school, and other destinations.

Notes:

• A boarding occurs every time someone boards any transit vehicle.
• A trip is a full transit journey from end to end including transfers. One trip may have several boardings due to transfers.
• “A typical day” is defined as what ridership was projected to be if FIFA World Cup 2026™ Vancouver was not taking place. It is calculated through recent ridership patterns and last year’s ridership on the same day.
• This ridership report is based on preliminary data; exact figures may change as ridership estimates are finalized.

Media downloads:
Photos of TransLink’s system on match day are available to download here

Media contact:
TransLink Media Relations 
E: media@translink.ca