Racism is a risk when Vancouver hosts World Cup, but measures exist: B.C. AG Sharma

British Columbia’s Attorney General Niki Sharma says hosting seven World Cup games in Vancouver comes with the risk of racism, but her government will do everything it can to make sure that won’t happen. 

Sharma made the comment as she was unveiling her government’s new provincial anti-racism plan in Surrey, B.C., less than two weeks before Vancouver hosts its first World Cup game between Australia and Turkiye on June 13.

Sharma says most people know that racism can take away from the sport, and those incidents make global news when they happen. 

She wouldn’t speculate on the government’s response during an occurrence, but says it will ensure that the games are inclusive for all by working with the City of Vancouver, and the World Cup’s governing body FIFA.

A plan released by Vancouver last week says the host committee will implement a zero-tolerance protocol for all acts of discrimination at all public facing World Cup venues and events within its control.

FIFA says it has been developing various measures over the years amid multiple incidents of racism off and on the field, often involving players of African heritage. 

Measures under FIFA’s Global Stand Against Racism include anti-discrimination observers for high-risk matches and the introduction of an anti-racism signal that allows players, coaches and officials to signal racist incidents to referees, who can trigger its anti-discrimination procedure.

It grants referees the power to pause matches and issue a public warning, suspend matches, or abandon matches if the abuse continues.

Referees can also red card players, sending them off the field, if they cover their mouths during confrontations with other players following a racist incident at a European Champions League earlier this year.

During last year’s FIFA Club World Cup, fans could also report such incidents to a FIFA app that screened fan material such as flags and banners to intercept racist or discriminatory messages. 

FIFA has previously punished national federations for various incidents, including discrimination. 

The Turkish Football Federation, for example, was fined in September 2025 for its role in an incident during a qualifying matching against Georgia.

FIFA said it involved the “use of gestures, words, objects or any other means to transmit a message that is not appropriate for a sports event.” 

FIFA also punished Canada’s first match opponent, Bosnia and Herzegovina, for incidents during a qualifying game against Austria that involved discrimination and racism, as well as the “use of gestures, words, objects or any other means to transmit a message that is not appropriate for a sports event.”

Canada will play that country on June 12 in Toronto. 

Croatia, another country set to play in Canada, was the subject of FIFA discipline in 2025. 

The soccer federation of that country, which will play Panama on June 17 in Toronto, was fined for discrimination and racist abuse among other problems when it hosted Montenegro in September.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 1, 2026.

By Wolfgang Depner | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.