The future of Major League Soccer in Vancouver is slipping away.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC, which have played in the Canadian city for more than a half a century, haven’t found a buyer after being up for sale for more than a year. An investor group said it’s submitted a bid to the league to move the team to Las Vegas. As options dwindle, the region’s highest-ranking public official has now entered the fray.
British Columbia Premier David Eby met Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber late Wednesday to discuss ways to keep the club. The crux of the team’s issues is playing home matches at BC Place, a publicly owned and operated stadium that MLS and the team say hampers the Whitecaps’ ability to make money. It’s been the biggest drag on a team that has lost more than US$300 million — a total not previously reported — since joining MLS more than 15 years ago, according to people familiar with the club’s finances who weren’t authorized to speak publicly about them.
“We are working hard to save the Whitecaps,” Eby said in a video after meeting with the MLS commissioner.
To every Whitecaps fan in B.C. — I hear you, and I see your passion.
We are fighting to keep the Whitecaps in Vancouver. The province is at the table, working to find a solution to keep our beloved club in Vancouver. pic.twitter.com/rPRn5LN2hu
— David Eby (@Dave_Eby) April 29, 2026
Garber’s X account replied to Eby’s video: “liar liar pants on fire.” But the post was quickly deleted. An MLS spokesman said his account was hacked.
My account was compromised earlier this evening. The issue has been resolved. I appreciate Premier Eby for taking the time to meet with me today.
— Don Garber (@thesoccerdon) April 30, 2026
Government officials in February renegotiated the team’s lease at BC Place to make it more favourable for the Whitecaps. Vancouver pitched the use of a park where willing investors could build a stadium and entertainment district. Eby suggested a way forward similar to when the MLS team in Columbus, Ohio, nearly relocated, but collaboration with the league ended up yielding a ownership solution that kept the team local.
“Maybe that’s something that they could do, and we could work on that together,” Eby said. “Give Ryan Reynolds a chance to kick the tires on the Whitecaps?” — a reference to the Vancouver-born Hollywood star who bought Welsh soccer team Wrexham AFC in 2020 and turned the story of its subsequent success into a popular TV show.
Reynolds’ digital marketing firm didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson for the Whitecaps declined to comment for this story.
MLS wants to find a way to keep the Whitecaps in Vancouver, according to league spokesman Dan Courtemanche, but it has “a responsibility to ensure the long-term health of the league and its clubs, and we will evaluate all options, including interest that has been expressed in the club from other markets and investor groups.”
Greg Kerfoot, a software entrepreneur, acquired the club in 2002, later paying about US$35 million for it to enter MLS. As the club made its push to join the league, minority investors joined, including ex-Yahoo executive Jeff Mallett and former NBA star Steve Nash.
Mallett pointed to the club’s financial woes last year in a rare interview.
The team “can’t keep underwriting this forever without a sense of a reasonable way of getting at least to net zero,” Mallet said on the Sekeres & Price sports podcast. The club “can’t make ends meet without having the real estate component.”
The Whitecaps have expressed a desire to assume management of BC Place, but hadn’t made a formal proposal, according to people familiar with the discussions. Eby said on Wednesday that the club has shown no interest in such a deal. A plan is likely to be submitted following Eby’s comments, one of the people said.
Goldman Sachs Group Inc. was hired to find a buyer for the Whitecaps in December 2024. The club has been pitched locally, but potential suitors have passed because of all the losses and the time it would take to build a new stadium in Vancouver. The city’s proposed stadium site isn’t seen as ideal because it’s not downtown or connected to transit and has limited parking.
Revenue opportunities that haven’t been taken full advantage of include stadium naming rights and corporate sponsorship, two people said. In the U.S., sectors including sports betting and healthcare have a larger presence.
The current owners could enjoy a big payday if they can close a transaction. Expansion fees have surged, with San Diego FC paying US$500 million in 2023. And valuations for top clubs are now upwards of US$1 billion. The Whitecaps lost in the league’s championship game last year and are 8-0-1 this season.
MLS owners met earlier this month to discuss the club’s future, according to a person familiar with the matter. U.S. cities including Indianapolis, Detroit, Tampa, Sacramento, Phoenix and Las Vegas have talked about potential expansions, the person said. A move to Las Vegas was the “chief option” on the table at the meeting, The Athletic reported on Monday, citing anonymous sources.
In a subsequent statement, the Whitecaps said that “no viable offer has emerged that would keep the club here,” despite talks with more than 100 parties.
Grant Gustavson is leading an investor group that’s made a bid to move the Whitecaps to Las Vegas, according to a statement from a spokesperson. He’s the grandson of B. Wayne Hughes, the late billionaire founder of Public Storage.