39-998: The Canada Soccer National Development Centre and Canada Soccer EXCEL programs are full-time women's soccer development programs run by the Canadian Soccer Association in partnership with the various provincial associations to develop Canadian women's soccer players as part of the Canadian women's soccer pathway. There are three National Development Centres in Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia and Regional EXCEL programs in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The four National Development Centres enter teams in Canada's tier 3 women's leagues: League1 Ontario , League1 British Columbia , Ligue1 Québec , and League1 Alberta . In November 2023, it
78-438: A 125-page report by McLaren Global Sport Solution, commissioned by Canada Soccer, concluded that Canada Soccer mishandled sexual harassment allegations in 2008 against then Canada U-20 women's soccer coach Bob Birarda, who was later found guilty of three counts of sexual assault . It said Canada Soccer was "described by many as being dysfunctional and inefficient" in 2007 and 2008, and concluded among other things that "harassment
117-616: A centralized, daily training program to develop their skills for players from U14 to U18 as part of Canada Soccer's Long-Term Player Development (LTPD) program. In 2022, it was announced that the NDC Ontario program would join and enter a team in the League1 Ontario women's division . Their debut match occurred on May 22, finishing in a 1–1 draw against the Woodbridge Strikers . After finishing in second place in
156-576: A common logo and rebranded to Ligue1 Québec in 2023. Dino Rossi became the first league president in May 2022. From August 12 to 14, 2022, the inaugural Women's Inter-Provincial Championship was held in Laval, Quebec . The competition was a four-team knockout tournament featuring the champions of each of the three divisions, as well as an additional team from the PLSQ (allocated as host). A.S. Blainville won
195-481: A longstanding practice of major Canadian sports franchises competing in American leagues. CSA does not have a sanctioned second-division men's soccer league; however, they do have a third-division sanctioned league: League1 Canada which was founded in 2022. League1 Canada is contested by clubs from four divisions; these are Ligue1 Québec , League1 Ontario , League1 British Columbia , and League1 Alberta for both
234-413: A men's division, followed by a women's division in 2015. After multiple years of consideration, League1 British Columbia began play in 2022 in both the male and female divisions. On March 31, 2022, League1 Canada was announced as an alliance of the three existing division three pro-am leagues, aligning the national soccer pathway. L1O and L1BC adopted new logos that day, while the PLSQ transitioned to
273-589: A new Canadian women's professional league which will start play in April 2025. Matheson and Project 8 Sports Inc. are leading this effort while Sinclair is involved in an advisory role. Six teams are expected to play the inaugural season of the Northern Super League . Halifax Tides FC, AFC Toronto, Calgary Wild FC, Montreal Roses, Ottawa Rapid and Vancouver Rise are expected to take the field in 2025. In July 2022, an independent review summarized in
312-577: Is a non-profit organization governed by a board of directors consisting of 14 directors: a President, Vice President, six elected directors, and six appointed or independent directors. Each of the six elected directors is elected from one of six geographic regions. The board must include at least three men and three women. Canada Soccer is administered by the General Secretariat, which is led by general secretary Peter Montopoli and deputy general secretary Earl Cochrane. The general secretary
351-630: Is awarded the Voyageurs Cup and a berth in the CONCACAF Champions Cup . Canada's best performance in the CONCACAF Champions Cup came in the 2014–15 competition, when Montreal Impact reached the finals. Toronto FC also reached the final in 2018 where they fell in penalties to C.D. Guadalajara . As of 2023, Canada does not have a professional women's league . The CSA previously had an affiliation with
390-437: Is held over a single weekend at the end of the season and determines a national champion. The winner of the 2023 tournament qualified for the 2024–25 CONCACAF W Champions Cup . The winners of the men's provincial leagues qualify for the following year's Canadian Championship , organized by the Canadian Soccer Association . There are plans for a Men's Inter-Provincial Championship to begin in 2024. From 2014 to 2016, prior to
429-610: Is overseen by Canada Soccer Business, in partnership with participating provincial member federations. League1 Canada is the third tier of the Canadian soccer league system which is the highest level of pro–am soccer in the country. It is below the Canadian Premier League which is the nation's top-tier professional league. Winners of each provincial league gain entry to the Canadian Championship
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#1732797739823468-587: Is the chief executive of Soccer Canada, and is appointed by the board of directors. Canada Soccer is a member of the worldwide soccer body FIFA and the North American soccer body CONCACAF and also has a relationship with the International Olympic Committee . Canada Soccer's objectives, as described in its by-laws, are to: The Canada men's national soccer team represents Canada in international soccer competitions at
507-430: The 1986 CONCACAF U-20 Tournament to qualify for the 1987 FIFA World Youth Championship , and winning the 1996 CONCACAF U-20 Tournament to qualify for the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship . The women's youth team most significant achievements are winning the 2004 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship, winning the 2008 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship to qualify for the 2008 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup , and winning
546-506: The 2010 CONCACAF Women's U-17 Championship to qualify for the 2010 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup . Canada Soccer Association oversees and promotes the development of many youth national teams: Despite a long history of professional soccer in the country, Canada have struggled to build and sustain domestic soccer leagues. They have gone through many different iterations, finally landing on the Canadian Premier League that
585-540: The 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup . The Canadian team also won a gold medal in the 2020 Summer Olympics . The women's national soccer team has played at the FIFA Women's World Cup on eight occasions (missing only the inaugural 1991 edition), most recently in 2023 . The team reached international prominence at the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup , losing in the third place match to the United States . Canada hosted
624-623: The 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup , and reached the quarterfinals. The team has played at the CONCACAF W Championship on ten occasions, most recently in 2022 . It hosted the tournament in 1994 and 1998 . Canada has played at the Summer Olympics on four occasions, most recently at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, where they were crowned champions for the very first time. The men's youth team most significant achievements are winning
663-709: The Canadian Soccer Association in partnership with Soccer Québec set up the Programme EXCEL féminin in Québec. In 2022, it was announced that they would field a team in the Première ligue de soccer du Québec women's division beginning in the 2022 season. In May 2023, the CF Montréal Academy took over the technical component of the PEF program, as part of the launch of their women's academy program, with
702-612: The FIFA World Cup on two occasions, in 1986 , and 2022 . They have yet to make it through to the knockout stages. By qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup , Canada ended a 36-year drought. Canada with Mexico and the United States will jointly host the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the first 48-team event. Canada have played at the CONCACAF Gold Cup on eighteen occasions, most recently in 2021 . They co-hosted
741-654: The Vancouver Whitecaps FC to launch its regional EXCEL program which will be run as part of the Whitecaps FC Academy . In 2021, it was announced that the program would join the semi-professional League1 British Columbia as a founding franchise for the 2022 season. Their home games will take place at Ken Woods Field at the National Soccer Development Centre. They played their debut match on May 22, defeating
780-742: The Victoria Highlanders 5-1. During the 2022 regular season, the Whitecaps managed to finish second in the regular season standings and qualified for the Championship final, despite many of their university age players having to depart the team before the end of the season, leaving them with a roster composed of 14-17 year old players. In the Championship Final, the Whitecaps Girls defeated Varsity FC to win
819-481: The 2025 season. On December 7, 2023, League1 Canada announced it had reached an agreement with the Alberta Soccer Association to add League1 Alberta to its national alliance of Division III Pro-Am leagues. Later that week, Dino Rossi resigned from his role as League1 Canada president. Each member league determines their own season format and schedules. In 2024, League1 British Columbia and
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#1732797739823858-749: The Canadian Soccer Association in 1971. Canada Soccer has hosted several global soccer tournaments, including the 1976 Olympic football tournament , the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup , and will co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup along with Mexico and United States. The association has also hosted the FIFA U-20 World Cup ( 2007 ), the FIFA U-16 World Championship ( 1987 ), and the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup ( 2002 , 2014 ). Canada Soccer
897-709: The Canadian Soccer Association, was founded in Winnipeg , Manitoba in July 1912. The organization joined FIFA on December 31, 1912. On June 21, 1926, the DCFA resigned from FIFA, only to rejoin on June 20, 1948. The governing body of the game retained that name until it was changed to The Football Association of Canada on June 6, 1952. The association later changed its name to the Canadian Soccer Football Association in 1958 and then at last to
936-487: The League1 Alberta men's division determined their league champions via a playoff tournament , while all other leagues determined their champions via regular season standings. Not to be confused with a league's playoff phase . The Women's Inter-Provincial Championship is a four-team knockout tournament organized by League1 Canada. It is contested annually by the four provincial league champions. The tournament
975-962: The League1 BC title to advance to the Inter-Provincial Championship again, winning the overall League1 Canada title for the second consecutive year. The Canadian Soccer Association partnered with the Ontario Soccer Association , Own the Podium, Sport Canada, the Canadian Sport Institute Ontario, and Bill Crothers Secondary School in Markham Ontario, to launch its Regional EXCEL (REX) program in January 2018. The REX Super Centres provide top youth female players with
1014-664: The PEF teams to now wear the CF Montreal badge on their jerseys. In 2023, they won the league and cup double and qualified for the League1 Canada Inter-Provincial Cup. Canadian Soccer Association The Canadian Soccer Association ( French : Association canadienne de soccer ; branded as Canada Soccer ) is the governing body for soccer in Canada . Headquartered in Ottawa , Ontario ,
1053-483: The U.S.-based National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) where some Canada women's national soccer team players were assigned to NWSL clubs. This affiliation ended after the 2021 season when the allocation system was abolished, although many Canadians continue to play in the American league. In 2022, former national team player Diana Matheson and then national team captain Christine Sinclair announced
1092-445: The federation is a full member of FIFA and governs Canadian soccer at the international, professional, and amateur levels, including: the men's and women's national teams, Canadian Premier League , youth organizations, beach soccer , futsal , Paralympic and deaf national teams. The Canadian Soccer Association also administers and operates the Canadian Championship . The Dominion of Canada Football Association , today known as
1131-407: The following season alongside Canadian Premier League teams and Canadian teams from Major League Soccer . In 2011, the Première ligue de soccer du Québec was established to begin play in 2012, marking the return of semi-professional soccer in the province of Quebec. In 2013, League1 Ontario was founded as a semi-professional league by the Ontario Soccer Association to begin play in 2014 with
1170-491: The inaugural title. The 2023 tournament was held in British Columbia. In March 2023, League1 Alberta was announced with a five-team exhibition series to be played that summer. The league plans to officially launch for the 2024 season with a minimum of six teams. In June 2023, League1 Prairies was announced with plans for the league to operate between Manitoba and Saskatchewan . The league plans to launch for
1209-474: The inaugural women's League1 British Columbia title. In May 2023, the team participated in the 2023 Blue Stars/FIFA Youth Cup , winning the title. In the 2023 L1BC season, they won the league double, capturing the regular season title and the playoff championship, advancing to the Women's Inter-Provincial Championship , which they also won to become the overall League1 Canada champions. In 2024, they once again won
Canada Soccer National Development Centres - Misplaced Pages Continue
1248-537: The men's and women's divisions. In 2022, Toronto FC II and Whitecaps FC 2 began play in MLS Next Pro , a USSF-sanctioned third-division league. At the professional level, Canada's domestic cup is the Canadian Championship . Founded in 2008, the Canadian Championship is an annual tournament contested by Canadian professional teams and the champions of each League1 Canada division. The winner
1287-581: The regular season standings, NDC were crowned champions after defeating Alliance United FC in the playoff final in their debut season. In their second season, they won the Ron Smale Cup after finishing in first in regular-season standings, but fell in the playoff championship final to Alliance United in extra time. In 2024, they again won the league title, advancing to the League1 Canada Women's Inter-Provincial Championship . In 2021,
1326-401: The senior men's level. Their most significant achievements are winning the 1985 CONCACAF Championship to qualify for the 1986 FIFA World Cup , winning the 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup to qualify for the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup and qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup . A Canadian club team also won a gold medal in the 1904 Summer Olympics . The men's national soccer team have played at
1365-457: The tournament in 2015 , where they finished 4th in their group, and did not advance to the knockout stage. The Canada women's national soccer team represents Canada in international women's soccer competitions at the senior women's level. Its most significant achievements are winning the 1998 CONCACAF Women's Championship to qualify for the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup , and winning the 2010 CONCACAF Women's World Cup Qualifying to qualify for
1404-498: The women's division of League1 Alberta . They finished tied for second place in their inaugural season, but finishing third due to goal difference. In September 2024, it was announced that Alberta Soccer would transfer the operation of the program to new women's professional side Calgary Wild FC of the Northern Super League . In 2015, the Canadian Soccer Association partnered with the BC Soccer Association and
1443-474: Was announced that Canada Soccer and the Alberta Soccer Association would open a national development centre for U15 to U18 girls in Calgary in 2024. The program was developed in partnership with Calgary Foothills WFC , who developed the girls high performance program for it. The program would form part of the Alberta pathway to the Northern Super League which is to launch in 2025. The group will participate in
1482-679: Was founded in 2019. The Canadian Premier League (CPL) is the top division of soccer in Canada. It is the only fully professional, and only fully national league in the system. Founded in 2019, the CPL is composed of eight teams and is sanctioned by the CSA. There are also three Canadian teams which play in Major League Soccer , the first-division league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation , reflecting
1521-595: Was not a priority issue amongst the senior Canadian Soccer Association leadership team" at the time. In 2022, Canada Soccer's then newly appointed Secretary General Earl Cochrane said: "We are going to be leaders in this safe sport – through policy, practice, programs." League1 Canada League1 Canada ( L1C ; French : Ligue1 Canada ) is a national pro–am soccer organization in Canada. It consists of four regional leagues; League1 Alberta , League1 British Columbia , League1 Ontario , and Ligue1 Québec with each league operating men's and women's divisions. L1C
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