Diana Matheson

Diana Beverly Matheson... she/her... speaks English... her mother Laurel was born in Uxbridge, ON while her father Jon was born in Montréal, QC... while Diana was born in Mississauga, her family was in fact living in neighbouring Oakville, ON... grew up participating in soccer, hockey and cross-country running... she was five years old when she started playing soccer for Oakville SC... growing up, favourites included Andrés Iniesta, Steven Gerrard, Liverpool... graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, Economics, with honours from Princeton University (2008)... took part in FIFA’s Women in Football Leadership Programme (2022)...

honoured by the Canada Soccer Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2025... in May 2017, a street in Oakville was named in her honour (former Rambler Court renamed Diana Matheson Way)... was part of the National Team that won the 2010 Concacaf Championship, recognised as a Canada Soccer Team of Distinction... was part of Team Canada that won an Olympic Bronze Medal at London 2012, recognised as a Canada Soccer Team of Distinction and honoured by the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame... was part of Team Canada that won an Olympic Bronze Medal at Rio 2016, recognised as a Canada Soccer Team of Distinction... recipient of Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012...

Concacaf champion with Canada (2010)… won back-to-back Olympic bronze medals with Canada at London 2012 and Rio 2016... represented Canada at four FIFA Women’s World Cups (USA 2003, China 2007, Germany 2011, Canada 2015), including a fourth-place finish at USA 2003... represented Canada at three Olympic Games (Beijing 2008, London 2012, Rio 2016)... in all, won six Concacaf medals with Canada (2004 bronze, 2006 silver, 2008 silver, 2010 gold, 2016 silver, 2018 silver)... won two medals with Canada at the Pan American Games (bronze at Rio 2007 and gold at Guadalajara 2011)... just the second Canadian to score international goals in three different decades (2000s, 2010s, 2020s)... career 206 international "A" appearances across 18 years from 2003 to 2020 with Canada Soccer's Women's National Team, including 11 starts as Canada’s captain… when she left international football in 2020, she ranked second in Canada matches (206), starts, minutes played, and goals scored...

she was honoured by Canada Soccer for reaching 100 international “A” appearances ahead of the Canada home match on 30 September 2010 at BMO Field in Toronto (Canada Soccer President Dr. Dominic Maestracci presented commemorative plates to both Diana Matheson and Amy Walsh)...

from Germany 2011, was noted by the FIFA Women’s World Cup Technical Study Group (”mobile midfielder who finds space well and supports attack”)... from London 2012, was noted by the Olympic Football Tournament Technical Study Group (”dynamic, hard-working and competitive right-sided midfielder, adept at launching attacks”)...

club career in Canada, USA and Norway, including appearances in UEFA Champions League... in Norway, a Toppserien winner with Lillestrøm SK (2012)... a Norway Cup runner up (2009)... in USA, an NWSL Cup runner up with Washington Spirit (2016)... with Oakville SC, a Canada Soccer National Championships winner (Jubilee Trophy in 2002)... a Canada Games winner (2001)...

part of the Canada Soccer team that met Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Parliament Hill on 6 June 2016 ahead of their international match one day later in Ottawa...

one of four members of iS4, a group that is dedicated to empowering others through workshops, speaking engagements, team building, and soccer camps... as a player, served as a brand ambassador for adidas Canada...

said Matheson in 2011, “I started out as a very feisty player; I got on the field because I could run around and win a lot of balls”... of her medal-winning goal at the London 2012 Olympics, John Doyle wrote, “the best Olympic moment, by far, was Diana Matheson’s smile after she scored THAT goal in the bronze-medal match”... said Matheson in 2012, “this has been one of the most incredible years of my life; I still look back on what we were able to accomplish as a team in London and what it has meant to all of Canada and for the growth of soccer in the country”...

said Matheson in 2021, “representing Canada has been the greatest honour of my life... I’m so grateful for all the incredible people I have met along every step of the way and for the Canadian fans for being such a huge part of the journey”...

said Desiree Scott in 2019, “she is such a vocal leader, she knows the game tactically, and she’s that organiser out there. She has that experience in the midfield and she’s able to help the people around her adapt to what’s going on in the game. She has a great soccer brain”...