CONCACAF’s Banner Ban Fails the Spirit of the Game
Just hours before kickoff at BC Place for the CONCACAF match between the Vancouver Whitecaps and Inter Miami CF on April 24th, two banners belonging to The Vancouver Sisters Supporters Group were removed without warning, without discussion and without any chance to connect or ask questions.
This was never about just fabric and paint. It was about what those banners stood for.
One banner read “Fight for Choice” in pink. The other focused on the importance of creating safe and inclusive spaces. These banners were not new. They had been proudly displayed at CONCACAF matches for years, approved through all the proper channels and had become a regular part of our stadium culture. Yet with less than two hours notice, CONCACAF decided to pull them down without any explanation.
This was never about just fabric and paint. It was about what those banners stood for, a soccer culture that welcomes everyone, especially people who have often been pushed to the margins. Soccer has always been about more than just the game. It is about community, resilience, belonging and voice. What happened last week showed that CONCACAF seems to be turning away from those values in favour of a smaller, narrower idea of who belongs in the stands.
The message it sent was loud and clear. By removing banners that support human rights and safe spaces, CONCACAF showed that some causes, even fundamental ones, are seen as too risky to stand behind. They are not living up to their role of representing all the nations and communities that make up the federation. Instead, they seem to be bending to political pressures that do not reflect the spirit of soccer as a global, unifying game.
Groups like The Sisters are part of what makes the Whitecaps fan community so special. They show up early. They build beautiful displays for the stadium. They create spaces where new supporters feel like they truly belong. Removing their banners without warning was not just a decision about signage, it erased part of the heart and soul that supporters bring to the stadium.
Human rights are not political.
Soccer should never be about controlling who fits and who does not. It should be about welcoming every single person who walks through the gates, no matter their background, identity or beliefs. If CONCACAF wants to call itself a global leader for the sport, it needs to act like one. It needs to respect and represent the full diversity of the fans who love this game.
What happened at BC Place made a lot of us feel like soccer might not be for us after all. That is not something any organization should ever be willing to risk. And it needs to be said clearly, human rights are not political. In Canada, they are protected under our Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Calling for equity, safety and choice is not about politics. It is about basic dignity and it belongs in our stadiums just as much as it belongs in our communities.
A Supporter in the Stands
*** Just a quick note to put this decision by CONCACAF into context. This isn’t the first time that they have chosen to remove displays deemed inappropriate. In a very similar situation on March 5, a Black Lives Matter flag was removed from Lumen Field at the Seattle Sounders vs. Cruz Azul CONCACAF Champions Cup match because it was deemed “racist”.
The decisions to remove these displays seems to be in direct opposition of CONCACAF’s stated goals of anti-discrimination as stated in their What’s Wrong is Wrong Campaign.