CARLSBERG MOMENTS OF THE MONTH – JULY 2025 

#MOTM

CANADA SOCCER LAUNCHES CLUB+ PROGRAM 

Canada Soccer unveils Club+, a new multi-year initiative designed to support community clubs across the country. At the core of the new platform is a digital hub with tools, templates, guides, and inspiration to help clubs grow, engage their communities, and convert FIFA World Cup 2026™ momentum into lasting grassroots participation.   

Club+ is designed for community club operators and organizers – the people who make soccer happen at the local level. Over the next two years, Club+ will offer support to more than 1,500 community clubs, equipping them with resources and support to recruit players, coaches and referees.  

Key Features of Club+:  

  • Practical tools across areas like volunteer recruitment, marketing, and more.  
  • Real examples and case studies from Clubs across Canada, so you’re never navigating alone.  
  • Flexible and user-friendly – use what fits best, when it makes sense for your Club.  
  • Customizable assets Club can use right away — no need to start from scratch.   

Clubs interested in joining Club Plus can register beginning today at https://clubplus.canadasoccer.com/


CANMNT TO HOST AUSTRALIA IN MONTRÉAL 

Canada Soccer and Football Australia announced that Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team (CANMNT) will play Australia (FIFA Rank #26) in an international friendly in the October 2025 window.   

The match will take place on Friday, 10 October at Stade Saputo in Montréal, Québec at 19:30 EST. This marks the first CANMNT match in Montréal since June 2017, where Canada defeated Curaçao 2:1 and featured the international debut of captain Alphonso Davies.  

“We’re excited to be playing another high-quality match on home soil with our first game in Montréal since 2017. Connecting the People’s Team with the Canadian community is one of our main priorities as we build excitement ahead of our home FIFA World Cup in 2026. We know how passionate the Québec community is for our team, and we look forward to a packed house in October.”   

Jesse Marsch, MLS Canada Head Coach of the Men’s National Team  

CANMNT and The Socceroos share a rivalry that dates back 100 years, with their first meeting taking place in 1924. Since then, the two nations have faced off nine times across friendlies and FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, with Canada recording three wins, one draw, and five losses. Fans will remember Canada’s 2:1 triumph in Edmonton during the 1994 FIFA World Cup Qualifying campaign over Australia but were defeated in the return leg 1:2 (1:4 on penalties) at Sydney Football Stadium.  

Tickets are available at: https://canadasoccer.com/buy-tickets-mnt-v-aus-mtl/


ALL 32 TEAMS HAVE QUALIFIED FOR PDP CHAMPIONSHIP 

All 32 youth teams have now qualified for the second edition of Canada Soccer’s Player-Development Program Championship to be played in Vaughan, Ontario this 27-31 August. The 32 teams divided into four divisions – PDP U-17 Cup and PDP U-15 Cup for both boys and girls – have all qualified through Canada’s four standards-based leagues in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Québec. 

Tickets to the PDP Championship are now on sale through Ontario Soccer with matches to be played on four different fields at the Zanchin Automotive Soccer Centre and Vaughan Grove. Matches have been scheduled for Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday (Finals Day) with a four-day pass available at the pre-sale rate of just $30 up until 22 August. On site, a four-day pass is available for $35 while a single-day pass is available for $10. 

As part of Canada Soccer’s Youth Competitions Network, the PDP Championship features four divisions across the PDP U-17 Cup and PDP U-15 Cup (boys and girls in each age category). With eight teams in each division, the PDP Championship will feature group matches from Wednesday 27 August through Saturday 30 August followed by medal and ranking matches for all 32 teams on Sunday 31 August. The 32 teams have qualified from a group of 210 teams competing in the four divisions across Canada Soccer’s four standards-based leagues from the 2024-25 / 2025 seasons. There are eight teams in each division with the full match schedule published at canadasoccer.com/competitions

The 32 qualified teams represent 24 different clubs including former national youth champions Burnaby FC, Calgary Blizzard SC, Calgary Foothills SC, Coastal FC, Coquitlam Metro-Ford SC, Lakeshore SC, CS Longueuil, Pickering SC, St. Albert Impact FC, CS Saint-Laurent, CS St-Hubert, and Woodbridge SC. This marks the first time ever that Canada Soccer has hosted as many as 32 youth teams in one venue for a national competition. 


SEMI-FINALS SET FOR THE 2025 TELUS CANADIAN CHAMPIONSHIP 

The 2025 TELUS Canadian Championship Semi-final matchups are confirmed following a draw that was conducted Wednesday night by Canada Soccer live on OneSoccer at halftime of the second leg Quarterfinal between an exhilarating match between Vancouver Whitecaps FC and Valour FC.   

The Semi-final draw removes regionalization with the clubs redrawn for the Semi-final and Final rounds of the competition. The results revealed the matchups for the Semi-final Round and determined the possible Host Clubs for the Final Match.    

The Matchups   

Semi-Final 1   

  • First Leg: Forge FC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC – 13 August 2025 (7 PM ET / 4 PM PT) at Hamilton Stadium (Hamilton, ON)   
  • Second Leg: Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. Forge FC – 16 September 2025 (10 PM ET / 7 PM PT) at BC Place Stadium (Vancouver, BC)  

Semi-Final 2   

  • First Leg: Vancouver FC vs. Atlético Ottawa – 13 August 2025 (10 PM ET / 7 PM PT) at Willoughby Stadium (Langley, BC)   
  • Second Leg: Atlético Ottawa vs. Vancouver FC – 18 September 2025 (7 PM ET / 4 PM PT) at TD Place (Ottawa, ON)  

The winner of SF1 between Forge FC and Vancouver Whitecaps FC will host the 2025 TELUS Canadian Championship Final on 1 October 2025.   

All four Semi-final Round matches will be broadcast live on OneSoccer, available online at OneSoccer.ca and via the OneSoccer app, on the FuboTV Canada platform, and as a linear channel on Telus’s Optik TV (Channel 980).  


CANMNT CLIMB TO HIGHEST RANKING IN PROGRAM HISTORY 

Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team have moved up two spots in the latest FIFA Men’s World Ranking, rising to #28. This marks the highest FIFA ranking in CANMNT history, beating the previous high of #30 in March 2025. Canada have been on a consistent upward trajectory since February 2024, rising 22 spots from #50 to #28.   

Canada recently took part in the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup and 2025 Concacaf Nations League Finals, being knocked out in the quarterfinals and semi-finals respectively. With less than 12 months until FIFA World Cup 26™, CANMNT are set to play high-quality friendlies ahead of their tournament opener on 12 June 2026 in Toronto.   

This fall, CANMNT will play four nations ranked in the FIFA Men’s World Ranking Top 50, with three being in the Top 30 and one in the Top 15. Canada will travel to Europe to play Romania (FIFA Rank #48) and Wales (FIFA Rank #31) in the September FIFA window. The October FIFA window will see Canada play its first match in Montréal since 2017, with a friendly against Australia (FIFA Rank #24) at Stade Saputo on 10 October. CANMNT will conclude the October window as visitors against Colombia (FIFA Rank #14), with a friendly on 14 October in Harrison, New Jersey. 


UPDATED CANADARED PROGRAM LAUNCHES 

Canada Soccer has announced the launch of the expanded CanadaRED fan engagement and donor program. Proceeds from CanadaRED are directly reinvested in the growth of Canadian soccer at different levels, including national team system and player pathway enhancement, coach education initiatives, and programs to support youth soccer participation, national team system and player pathway enhancement, coach education initiatives, and programs to support youth soccer participation.  

CanadaRED is the exclusive platform for access to Canada Soccer’s FIFA World Cup 26™ ticket allotment for Men’s National Team (CANMNT) matches. CanadaRED served the same purpose for access to FIFA World Cup™ tickets in 2022 and will continue as the mechanism for supporter engagement and preferred access to tickets for all national team matches and future competitions, including the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup™.   

By becoming a member of CanadaRED, fans and donors directly contribute to building a stronger foundation for the future of Canadian soccer. Their support has a direct impact on the experience of athletes, coaches, and communities across the country, and builds additional revenue to supplement traditional streams that may not be projected to increase at the same pace as investment requirements – such as government funding – to ensure that soccer in Canada continues to grow and thrive. Contributions raised through CanadaRED are reinvested directly back into the Canadian soccer ecosystem in three focused areas:  

  • Enhanced National Team Support System: Providing our National Teams – from youth to senior teams – with world-class training resources and competitive opportunities. For example, enhanced revenue from CanadaRED will provide more opportunities for Youth National Team training camps.   
  • Coaching Education: Provide additional training and experience opportunities to accelerate the development of high-performance Canadian coaches. For example, revenue from CanadaRED will support programs like AccelerateHER, which fosters advanced coaching education for women coaches across Canada.   
  • Accessibility for Youth Soccer: Ensuring Canadian youth can participate in soccer by providing financial assistance and community-driven initiatives that reduce barriers to entry. For example, revenue from CanadaRED will help support Canada Soccer’s Soccer in Schools program.   

Registration for the updated CanadaRED program is available now. Canadian soccer supporters and donors can choose from a range membership tiers, each offering a collection of Canada Soccer benefits, including access to exclusive news and unique experiences. Contribution levels for CanadaRED tiers range from free to $5,000, with tax receipts available for the charitable component of each contribution. Fans and donors may sign-up by visiting canadared.canadasoccer.com.   

As a Participating Member Association, Canada Soccer’s FIFA World Cup 26™ ticket allotment comprises 8% of the purchasable ticket allocation for each CANMNT game, distributed across different price categories. An equal number of tickets will be assigned to the lottery at each CanadaRED tier. Members who are unsuccessful in the lottery at their tier become eligible for the lottery at lower tiers. A separate lottery will be held for each of Canada’s matches. More information regarding the lottery timeline and specific process will be communicated after Canada Soccer receives more details from FIFA.