Professional Women’s Soccer is Finally Coming to Canada

AP Photo/Fernando Vergara

Canada (PSF) — On Monday night, news of a professional women’s soccer league in Canada broke. Current Canadian national team player, Christine Sinclair and her former teammate Diana Matheson announced their plans to launch this still unnamed league in 2025. Matheson retired from professional soccer in 2021, after a twenty year long career with both the Canadian national team and in the NWSL in the United States. Sinclair still plays professionally for both CANWNT and in the NWSL. She currently plays for the Portland Thorns, who just won the NWSL Championship. 

They are planning on having eight teams, spread across the country. Sinclair and Matheson are also hoping to bring Canadian players back from international teams. Currently, over 100 Canadian women are currently playing professional soccer in other countries. Players like Kailen Sheridan, Desire Scott, and Jessie Fleming are all players for successful American and British teams. These are players that are all regularly called up to the national team. Sinclair and Matheson are hoping for every team to have at least one national team player on their roster. Vanessa Gilles, who plays professionally in France and the United States, has already expressed excitement and support for the new league.

Christine Sinclair, playing during a national team call up

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So far, two teams have already been confirmed: the Vancouver Whitecaps Football Club and the Calgary Foothills Soccer Club. Matheson is hoping that they can have full sanctioning by 2024 in order to play their inaugural season in April 2025.

It’s going to be super interesting to see how this league shapes out and grows. One things is for sure: professional women’s soccer is coming to Canada.