Canada Soccer announces new partnership with Circle K

Canada Soccer and Circle K, a leader in the Canadian convenience store industry, are excited to announce their new integrated marketing partnership which will see Circle K become the title sponsor of Canada Soccer’s flagship grassroots program Active Start Soccer Fests. Now known as Circle K Active Start Soccer Fests, the country’s largest and longest running grassroots soccer program is set to celebrate its 25th anniversary season in 2021.

Registration for this season’s Circle K Active Start Soccer Fests is open now, find complete information and guidelines to applying while respecting local public health authority measures here. Canada Soccer’s top priority is to ensure the safety of all those participating, and encourage clubs to only host, if and when, possible.

As part of the agreement, Circle K will become an official partner of Canada Soccer’s Men’s and Women’s National Teams ahead of what is scheduled to be a very busy 2021 year with the Summer Olympics, FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ Qualifiers and Concacaf Gold Cup. In addition, Circle K will partner with the Canadian Premier League on a new initiative – Circle K Skillzone Clinics – a community driven initiative designed to connect local community soccer clubs and teams to professional CPL Clubs in a fun and interactive way. 

“We are proud to welcome Circle K to our partnership family,” said Peter Montopoli, Canada Soccer General Secretary. “As an extraordinary Canadian success story on the global stage, we believe Circle K is a terrific fit for our organization. With Circle K’s presence in communities from coast-to-coast, we are looking forward to the opportunity to collaborate on our shared commitment to grow and develop the sport across our country.”

Circle K is committed to being a good neighbour in the communities where it operates and invests each year in initiatives to support youth and children. With this partnership, Circle K will be contributing to the development of Canada Soccer’s objectives of leading Canada to victory and Canadians to a lifelong passion for the game. In addition, Circle K and Canada Soccer will work together to highlight and strengthen Canada Soccer’s grassroots initiatives, adding value for the soccer community.

“Circle K is there to give you a little boost on your life journey!”, said Melissa Lessard, Head of Marketing and Merchandising Canada. “This partnership allows us to bring our local communities together to create fun and meaningful moments through sport.”

Canada Soccer’s Circle K Active Start Soccer Fests
Canada Soccer’s Circle K Active Start Soccer Fests is a grant-based program designed to provide resources to host a soccer celebration in communities across the country. Community soccer clubs are encouraged to apply to host a festival via the online application process, and pending program space and Provincial/Territorial Member Association approval, will receive a program event package, which they can use to showcase their event. In addition, participating clubs will receive a festival hosting package which includes individual participation certificates and a wide array of promotional giveaways from the program’s national sponsors. For more information about Canada Soccer’s Circle K Active Start Soccer Fests program and to learn how bring a festival to your club and community, visit to the Canada Soccer’s Circle K Active Start Soccer Fests website. 

About Circle K
Circle K is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alimentation Couche-Tard (“Couche-Tard”). Couche-Tard is a global leader in convenience and fuel retail, operating in 26 countries and territories, with more than 14,200 stores, of which approximately 10,800 offer road transportation fuel. With its well-known Couche-Tard and Circle K banners, it is the largest independent convenience store operator in terms of the number of company-operated stores in the United States and it is a leader in the convenience store industry and road transportation fuel retail in Canada, Scandinavia, the Baltics, as well as in Ireland. It also has an important presence in Poland and Hong Kong. Approximately 135,000 people are employed throughout its network.