Have you ever pictured Lionel Messi jogging out onto Starlight Stadium, Cristiano Ronaldo warming up near the touchline, or Kylian Mbappe trading passes under the Langford sun? That dream could be closer than you think – if city council decides to chase it.
On Monday, Aug. 18, Langford council will vote on whether to move forward with a bid to become a Team Base Camp (TBC) for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The tournament – running June 11 to July 19, 2026 – will be the first with 48 teams, spread across host cities in Canada, the United States and Mexico.
Each participating nation will need a TBC: a training facility and accommodations where they can stay, train and prepare for their matches during the group stage.
For Langford, it’s not as simple as throwing their name in the hat.
Starlight Stadium’s artificial turf would need to be replaced with natural grass, a project estimated to cost $1 million to $1.2 million.
On March 3, council passed a resolution directing staff to seek help from the provincial and federal governments.
On June 10, the federal government declined, with MP Will Greaves writing to the city.
"There was interest and agreement that it was a modest request, however, on further discussion, Minister van Koeverden indicated the federal government has already provided the Province of B.C. with $115 million to support FIFA 2026, and that no additional federal funding will be allocated for this project," he said in the letter.
A month later, the province also said no.
"The Province appreciates your efforts to pursue hosting a Team Base Camp. Unfortunately, we do not have specific programs available with the amount of funding support you are seeking to replace Starlight Stadium's artificial turf with natural grass," wrote former minister of tourism, arts, culture, and sport Spencer Chandra Herbert.
That leaves council with two choices: take no action on the bid or commit to the process and the costs if selected.
If Langford gets the nod, the grass installation would need to be finished by March 31, 2026.
The stadium already checks most of FIFA’s boxes – media centre space, coaches’ offices, dressing rooms, a minimum of 500 seats, fleet and media parking, grade 2 flood lights and access to a fitness centre. The main hurdle remains the turf conversion.
To offset the cost, FIFA would pay Langford between $13,500 and $20,000 a day for use of the facility – roughly $456,000 for a 22-day rental.
Regardless of the bid outcome, the current turf is slated for replacement in 2026. If natural grass is installed for the tournament, it would be replaced with new turf after the season wraps that fall.
FIFA requires confirmation of funding, a contractor, installation plans and multiple agreements by Aug. 31, 2025. Miss that deadline, and Langford’s shot at hosting some of the world’s best could vanish before the first whistle blows.