Vancouver's first World Cup match sees highest public transit ridership since 2010 Olympics

Ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, TransLink repeatedly urged fans to use public transit to get to and from the games in Vancouver.

It appears as though they listened.

Ridership data shows that on June 13 — the date of the first match at BC Place — 355,000 unique customers made 1,031,000 boardings, with 648,200 total trips. That's an increase of 16.3%, 14.3% and 17.8%, respectively, over a typical Saturday.

While a boarding is recorded any time someone taps in, a trip is "a full transit journey from end-to-end including transfers" and may have multiple segments.

According to TransLink, ridership at stations that serve BC Place was the highest it's been on a Saturday since the 2010 Olympics, and "surpassed both Taylor Swift’s Saturday Eras Tour concert and the Lionel Messi match."

"The overall increase in ridership shows the important role transit plays in moving people for large events, while also keeping people connected to businesses and other destinations across the region," the agency said in a press release.

Buses were the most busy, with 558,300 boardings, while SkyTrain came in close second at 447,200. A total of 24,500 boardings were recorded on the SeaBus, and 500 on the West Coast Express.