The fan festival reportedly welcomed about 500,000 people, with only three Criminal Code arrests recorded there. Across the wider operation, the report says 16 foreign nationals were arrested for alleged breaches of the peace or being drunk in public.
Granville produced 36 Criminal Code arrests, but Superintendent Jeff Neuman still described the area as “largely peaceful”. That balance matters. Large football gatherings will always bring isolated incidents, yet the overall mood can remain welcoming when policing is visible without overwhelming the supporter experience.
The operation also highlighted how modern tournament security reaches into the air. Vancouver police reportedly completed more than 800 drone flights during the tournament period, while 745 unauthorised flights were recorded across the city’s seven match days.
Officers identified 45 operators and instructed them to land, while another 40 drones were reportedly remotely jammed. For authorities, the challenge was not simply monitoring crowds but protecting routes, venues and public spaces from risks that supporters may barely notice.
As many as 1,300 officers were assigned on each match day, with support from neighbouring police services and transit authorities. That scale reflects the demands placed on host cities when football turns public space into a temporary stadium district.
Vancouver’s experience offers an encouraging template for future hosts: firm preparation, coordinated policing and room for fans to enjoy the occasion. The next storyline will be whether other tournament cities can deliver the same combination of security and supporter freedom when the world’s attention arrives.