MLS receives formal bid to relocate Vancouver Whitecaps to Las Vegas: reports

B.C.'s premier met with the commissioner of Major League Soccer on Wednesday to discuss the future of the Vancouver Whitecaps.

VANCOUVER — An investor group led by Las Vegas businessman Grant Gustavson has submitted a formal bid to Major League Soccer to buy the Vancouver Whitecaps and relocate the club, according to multiple reports.

The group has proposed building a privately financed, soccer-specific stadium in Las Vegas, with no public funding, though details of the site and terms of the offer were not disclosed.

Gustavson, 30, is the grandson of Public Storage co-founder B. Wayne Hughes and the son of billionaire Tamara Gustavson, one of the company’s largest shareholders.

Multiple ownership groups are believed to be exploring relocation options as MLS reviews the Whitecaps’ future.

The club has been up for sale since 2024, with ownership citing ongoing challenges tied to stadium control and revenue at BC Place Stadium.

The bid, announced Thursday, came a day after B.C. Premier David Eby met with MLS commissioner Don Garber and described the talks on the team’s future as “constructive.”

Garber is in Vancouver for FIFA Congress events and met with Eby on Wednesday, following reports that the league has discussed moving the club, with Las Vegas a leading option.

Eby released a video Wednesday night saying the province is “at the table fighting hard” to keep the team in Vancouver.

“We have the World Cup coming, we are a world-class football town — losing the Whitecaps is not an option,” the premier said.

“I saw the shots of the fans out at the rally to save the Whitecaps. We are on the same side; we will fight hard to save our team.”

Hours later, a now-deleted post from Garber’s X account replied: “Liar, liar pants on fire.”

A league spokesperson later said the commissioner’s account was hacked.

About three dozen Whitecaps fans gathered Thursday outside the Vancouver Convention Centre, where the 76th FIFA Congress is being held, greeting arriving soccer dignitaries with a protest amid uncertainty over the club’s future.

Fans held “Save the Caps” signs and sang club chants.

The demonstration comes as a campaign to keep the team in the city continues online, with a petition on savethecaps.com drawing 8,550 signatures as of Thursday morning.

The province has offered financial concessions tied to BC Place Stadium, but has ruled out buying the team.

Following his meeting with Garber, Eby told reporters the province would not transfer control of the provincially owned venue to the Whitecaps to stabilize the club’s finances, and added that the team has shown no interest in that option.

The premier said he planned to meet with the MLS commissioner again.

RELATED STORIES:

• B.C. premier holds ‘constructive’ talks with MLS commissioner over Whitecaps’ future
• Soccer’s top decision makers meet in Vancouver for FIFA Congress ahead of World Cup
• Whitecaps relocation talk raises economic concerns
• Minister says B.C. government won’t buy Whitecaps, but will help MLS team cut costs

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 30, 2026.