‘Not Giving Up’—Thomas Muller’s Vancouver Whitecaps Inch Closer to Nightmare Scenario

Vancouver Whitecaps FC’s future on Canada's west coast appears to be in more doubt after CEO and sporting director Axel Schuster painted a bleak picture of the club’s future at the government-owned BC Place, with prospects of outside investment also slim.

Speaking with reporters on less than two hours’ notice, Schuster struck a downbeat tone, a stark contrast to his previous comments about the team, which has been listed for sale since December 2024.

“There’s not enough progress, as of now, that I can say we have a solution or we have an idea how the solution can look like,” Schuster said of ongoing discussions with the stadium, operated by PavCo, a company working at arm’s length from the Provincial Government. “We have a lot of ideas, but so far, none of those ideas are possible or can be done only by us.”

While the club will be able to play most matches at BC Place in 2026, despite no new lease following the end of the 2025 season, scheduling conflicts with other events and the 2026 FIFA World Cup will require the team to play some home dates—potentially a Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal or final in May—at a different venue, not necessarily in Vancouver.

In addition to the scheduling issues that come with not owning BC Place, the primary issue remains that the Whitecaps do not generate significant matchday revenue.

Vancouver Whitecaps CEO and sporting director Axel Schuster spoke bluntly about the club's future in Vancouver. | Simon Fearn-Imagn Images

Despite an average attendance of 21,806 in 2025 and two sold-out matches with over 54,000 fans, the club sits at the bottom of MLS in revenue, according to Schuster, with several reports indicating the team receives less than 12% of matchday revenue.

Options for a future in Vancouver rely on a new stadium owned and operated by the Whitecaps, for which a Memorandum of Understanding was signed with the City of Vancouver, or a vastly evolved deal with BC Place, which Schuster explained does not feel realistic.

“Our situation is, unfortunately, not good,” Schuster told Postmedia. “But we are not giving up.”

MLS vice president of communications Dan Courtemanche also issued an unprompted statement on behalf of the league, following a previous statement from MLS Commissioner Don Garber, who has called the situation “untenable.”

“The Vancouver Whitecaps continue to face unresolved business and stadium challenges that are limiting the club’s long-term future in the city,” Courtemanche said. “Operational constraints around scheduling and venue access have intensified in 2026, creating untenable conditions for a major league club, with no clear path forward. This is not fair to the club or its fans.”

Efforts to Sell Have Stalled

Vancouver Whitecaps FC played in front of 54,000 home fans twice in 2025. | Anne-Marie Sorvin-Imagn Images

With the stadium issue hanging over the Whitecaps, the current ownership group’s efforts have stalled, despite Schuster revealing that over 30 parties had signed non-disclosure agreements to look at the club’s financial information as a first step towards a purchase.

“I would say in general we’ve had roughly 100 outreaches,” Schuster said. “We had 30 to almost 40 groups sign an NDA and go into our data room. They all spent real money doing a full analysis. The reality is that no one is interested in buying even 1% of this club. All of them believe the setup here—the market and the situation we’re in—is not investable.”

Despite the on-field success of winning the Western Conference in 2025, securing a fourth straight Canadian Championship and signing German legend Thomas Müller, the situation in Vancouver appears more dire than ever.

Yet, there has been no indication from the left-leaning New Democratic Party’s Provincial Government or Premier David Eby about adjusted needs for BC Place, which would see over 20 dates emptied on the calendar should the Whitecaps—one of two primary tenants alongside the Canadian Football League’s BC Lions—leave the stadium.

“We are literally 14 months in and not one step further than we were 14 months ago,” Schuster said of the efforts to sell the club.

“We are maybe a few steps forward because we have already looked into a lot of scenarios, and none of them are doable for many good reasons, but then that’s not a solution for us. As of now, the progress is definitely too little to be optimistic. My concerns are there, and maybe my concerns are a little bit bigger than they were a couple of months ago.”

When and Where Could the Whitecaps Move?

MLS - Don Garber — MLS commissioner Don Garber has called the Vancouver Whitecaps situation “untenable.” | Hannah Foslien/Getty Images

The Whitecaps and MLS remain committed to finding a solution in Vancouver, as the oldest-running professional club in MLS, but are likely to turn their attention to a potential relocation if a solution cannot be reached in the near future.

While the club will play 2026 primarily in Vancouver, the 2027 season could be a possible relocation year, marking the first MLS club relocation since the San Jose Earthquakes moved to Houston in 2006.

Indianapolis is likely at the top of the list of potential cities for the team to move to. Mayor Joe Hogsett has prioritized landing an MLS club, and in October, he had a piece of land approved for sale as a potential stadium site.

Indianapolis has also long had a lower-division team, the Indy XI, which currently plays in the USL Championship, the second division. However, the potential for Indy to seek an expansion team of its own also remains feasible.

Other potential cities include Sacramento and Detroit, which both previously pursued MLS expansion, as well as Las Vegas, which will have each of the NHL, NFL and MLB as of 2028, only missing the NBA and MLS.

The Whitecaps begin the 2026 MLS season on Feb. 21 at BC Place against Real Salt Lake.

Efforts to Sell Have Stalled

When and Where Could the Whitecaps Move?

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