MLS boss is coming to Vancouver to lobby for the Whitecaps

British ColumbiaMajor League Soccer commissioner Garber says the Vancouver Whitecaps’ stadium deal “isn’t optimal” because of scheduling issues and the limited revenue the club receives from food and beverage sales. High on Don Garber’s list of talking points will be the Whitecaps’ stadium deal Gemma Karstens-Smith · The Canadian Press · Posted: Nov 04, 2025 8:35 PM EST | Last Updated: 1 hour agoListen to this articleEstimated 6 minutesB.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver is home to the city’s MLS team, the Vancouver Whitecaps, but the league’s commissioner has argued a new stadium deal is needed for the club’s growth. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press)The head of Major League Soccer has long believed Vancouver has what it takes to be a premier soccer market. Now, as the Vancouver Whitecaps reach new highs on the field, league commissioner Don Garber is coming to the city to lobby for change. “My trip isn’t just to celebrate all the great things that have been going on over the years,” he said in a phone interview. “It’s to help make sure that success is sustainable long term.”Garber will be speaking with business leaders and public officials during the trip, and high on his list of talking points will be the Whitecaps’ stadium deal. WATCH | Whitecaps celebrate 50th anniversary:Vancouver Whitecaps celebrate 50 years as city’s soccer teamDan Burritt speaks to club CEO Axel Schuster and former star player Carl Valentine on the club’s highs and lows over its half-century of existence before its 50th anniversary game on Saturday.The club currently plays its home games at B.C. Place, a 55,000-seat venue in Vancouver’s downtown core. Opened in 1983, the stadium is owned by PavCo, a provincial Crown corporation that leases the venue to tenants, including the Whitecaps and CFL’s B.C. Lions. It’s also set to host seven matches during the FIFA World Cup in June and July.The venue is also used for non-sporting events, including concerts — it hosted the final three dates of Taylor Swift’s Eras tour last December — and trade shows. Fans are pictured prior to singer Taylor Swift’s first of three concerts at B.C. Place last December. The large venue is owned by a provincial Crown corporation. (Ben Nelms/CBC)Garber says the Whitecaps’ stadium deal “isn’t optimal” because of scheduling issues and the limited revenue the club receives from food and beverage sales. “The club isn’t sustainable in a situation where they’re … in a building which they have no control over, they have minimal participation with revenue. The biggest issue is the lack of schedule flexibility,” he said. Last year, the ‘Caps had to cede home-field advantage to the Portland Timbers for a playoff game because a motocross show was already booked in at B.C. Place for the same date. B.C. Place consistently sees high attendance for Whitecaps games, but the club argues it’s missing out on food and drink revenue because it doesn’t own the site. (Ben Nelms/CBC)B.C. Place said in a statement Tuesday that it makes “40-plus days available per year to the Whitecaps to host matches.” Whitecaps CEO and sporting director Axel Schuster told reporters last month that, while the club is among the top-10 in MLS when it comes to attendance, because of their deal with B.C. Place, the ‘Caps linger at the bottom when it comes to food and beverage revenue.“Clubs that are having half of our attendance are making three times the revenue of us in this category,” he said. The Invictus Games opening ceremony is seen at B.C. Place this February. The Whitecaps’ lease at B.C. Place expires this December. (Ben Nelms/CBC)The Whitecaps’ current lease with B.C. Place expires at the end of December. B.C. Place said in its statement that it’s currently having “productive discussions” with the MLS club about renewing its lease. “Any agreement has to be looked at in totality, factoring in not just revenue but also operational costs and capital investments,” it read. It noted renovations are currently underway for new premium hospitality areas and said tenants will have more opportunities to generate revenue next season. “Ultimately, it’s our goal to balance the right deal for both parties while ensuring fairness for British Columbians,” the statement said. “As the proud home of Vancouver Whitecaps FC, B.C. Place has supported the club’s journey in Major League Soccer for the past 14 years and has hosted its matches for over four decades. The stadium remains committed to supporting the club’s growth and success now and into the future.”New stadium talksThe Whitecaps also announced in April that it had started discussions with the City of Vancouver about building a new soccer-specific stadium at the PNE fairgrounds on the city’s eastern edgeThe discussions began after the club’s ownership group — made up of Greg Kerfoot, Steve Luczo, Jeff Mallett and former NBA star Steve Nash — announced in December it was putting the club up for sale.WATCH | Whitecaps CEO says intent is to keep club in city:Vancouver Whitecaps CEO says intention is to keep team in city with ‘no plan B’Axel Schuster, the Whitecaps’ CEO and sporting director, says a proposed new stadium comes at a time when the team’s owners are preparing to sell the city’s Major League Soccer franchise. He acknowledged political turbulence is affecting the team off the field, but he hopes the club’s good start to the season continues.Schuster said last month that the current owners are still looking for an option that will keep the Whitecaps in Vancouver, and that could include bringing in new investors.Stadium troubles are nothing new for MLS clubs, Garber said. The commissioner sees his role in the talks as sitting down with community and government leaders to explain what kind of value teams provide and talk about how the league is a good partner. ��“If we’re able to have a very thoughtful and open discussion, I’m hopeful we’ll be able to reach a resolution, whatever that resolution might be,” he said. WATCH | Don Garber says B.C. Place isn’t viable for Whitecaps:MLS commissioner says B.C. Place not ‘viable’ for the WhitecapsThe debate around a new stadium for the Vancouver Whitecaps is back in the spotlight this week, following comments from the MLS commissioner about the need for a more ‘viable stadium’ for the team. Sohrab Sandhu reports.Despite the business dealings, the Whitecaps remain healthy, Garber said. “Look at their fan base, look at how they’re performing on the field,” he said. “But you need to have an integrated connection between what happens on the field and what happens off the field.”Flying high in playoffsThe ‘Caps finished the regular season second in the Western Conference with an 18-7-9 record, then dispatched FC Dallas in a first-round playoff series. Vancouver will host Los Angeles FC in the Western semifinal on Nov. 22. More than 23,000 tickets for the game were sold before LAFC — and South Korean star Son Heung-min — were confirmed as the opponents, and the team is now expecting more than 40,000 fans to fill the stands. Adding German soccer legend Thomas Müller to the roster in mid-August was a major coup for the ‘Caps. The 36-year-old attacking midfielder contributed seven goals and three assists over seven regular-season appearances, added another goal in the team’s first playoff game, then scored in a penalty shootout in the second to help the club advance. German legend Thomas Müller is pictured during his first news conference as a Vancouver Whitecap earlier this year. He has already made major contributions as the Whitecaps make a playoff push. (Ben Nelms/CBC)Müller is a “true champion” who uplifts not only the team but Vancouver as a whole, Garber said. “There were a number of MLS teams that were chasing after Thomas Müller,” he said.”He is a winner, and I’m so excited to have him in the league.”