Canada Soccer confirms revised format to the 2025 Challenge Trophy competition

Canada Soccer has confirmed a revised format and schedule to the men’s amateur division for the Challenge Trophy competition in this year’s National Championships. The men’s division will now feature eight teams with a revised schedule of 16 matches to be played in St. John’s, Newfoundland & Labrador from 8-13 October 2025.

Saskatchewan Soccer’s qualified team has officially withdrawn from the competition while Soccer NB has been ruled ineligible from competing in this year’s men’s amateur division, which in turn ruled the withdrawal of the New Brunswick team. The revised format also meant that the remaining eight teams were reseeded into new four-team groups for the opening segment of the competition.

Based on the 2024 standings, the groups were drawn accordingly:
Group A (ON MB AB NL2) : Gloucester Celtic FC (Ontario); Winnipeg NKMB Saints FC (MB); Edmonton Drillers SC (AB); Conception Bay South Strikers FC (NL2).
Group B (NS BC NL1 QC) : Halifax County United SC (Nova Scotia); Port Moody SC (BC); Holy Cross FC St. John’s (NL1); CS Rivière-des-Prairies (QC).

Saskatchewan Soccer also withdrew from the women’s amateur competition and their spot was officially replaced last week by the runners up in the Ontario Cup division.

Group matches for the men’s and women’s competitions will run Wednesday 8 October through Saturday 11 October with ranking and medal matches to follow on Sunday 12 October and Monday Finals Day 13 October. Both the men’s Canadian Final for the Challenge Trophy and the women’s Canadian Final for the Jubilee Trophy will be played at King George V Stadium, which this year celebrates its historic 100th anniversary.

Canada Soccer’s National Championships serve as the pinnacle event to the 2025 season, bringing together the best amateur clubs from across the country. This year marks the biggest year ever for Canada Soccer’s national amateur competitions with a record 128 qualified amateur teams set to take part in 14 divisions from the Futsal Canadian Championship in April to the Player-Development Program Championship in August and then the National Championships in October. Those 128 teams will qualify from a group of more than 1,100 teams taking part in competitive leagues and cup competitions from across the country.