From the PDP Championship to the professional game

Canada Soccer’s inaugural Player-Development Program Championship provided a terrific growth opportunity for Canada’s bright young players. Less than six weeks after the 2024 edition wrapped up in Edmonton, the first U-17 player has already earned his first few minutes with a men’s professional club in the Canadian Premier League.

That professional honour went to Lukas Pareja Duque, the Calgary Foothills SC prospect who went from the PDP Championship in August to the York United FC lineup in September. He was actually the second Foothills’ player to signed a development contract with a CPL team, but he was the first to feature after he entered as a substitute in the 81st minute of York’s 0:2 away loss to Forge FC Hamilton.

Calgary Foothills’ captain James McGlinchey (pictured) was in fact the first young player to go from the PDP U-17 Cup to the professional game with Calgary’s Cavalry FC. Both midfielder McGlinchey and goalkeeper Neven Fewster (from the Calgary Rangers) signed CPL development contracts with Cavalry FC on 3 September, then McGlinchey dressed as an unused substitute on 7 September in a 1:2 away loss to Forge FC.

Pareja Duque, who signed with York United FC on 5 September, dressed for his first CPL match on 13 September, then made his debut 15 days later.

Canada Soccer’s new Player-Development Program Championship delivered a higher level of national competition for youth soccer players and organisations across the country. The inaugural 2024 edition was played in Edmonton, Alberta from 14 to 18 August with 28 youth teams for boys and girls qualifying to the PDP U-17 Cup and PDP U-15 Cup.

Canada Soccer’s Player-Development Program features a network of standards-based programs that represent high-level amateur youth soccer in Canada. Participating organisations, both clubs and academies, all meet the requirements for standards-based programming including recognition as an active National Youth Club Licensee.

Across two streams of competition – the competitive leagues that leads to the youth National Championships and the higher level of standards-based leagues that lead to the PDP Championship – Canada Soccer will support a wider group of clubs, players, coaches and referees through its Youth Competitions Network. Future professional players will be developed in both streams.

Alongside McGlinchey, Fewster and Pareja Duque from the 2024 PDP Championship, another young player, Finn Raible, has already moved from the National Championships U-15 Cup in 2023 to a professional development contract with York United FC in 2024.

Canada Soccer’s Youth Competitions Network will help develop future professional players in both the men’s and women’s game. Heading into the third year of this FIFA Forward Program in 2025, Canada Soccer will continue to strengthen its Youth Competitions Network as it plans to welcome a record number of qualified teams across all of its national amateur competitions.

The inaugural Player-Development Program Championship in 2024 featured 28 clubs, each of which held the National Youth Club Licence which are only issued once a club has successfully fulfilled an established list of criteria ensuring high standards in club operations and player development. The competition will be expanded to 32 finalists in 2025, with eight clubs in each of four divisions (Boys’ PDP U-17 Cup, Girls’ PDP U-17 Cup, Boys’ PDP U-15 Cup, Girls’ PDP U-15 Cup).