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Legacy has been a key theme in the lead-up to the FIFA men’s World Cup. As the most played youth sport in Canada, soccer now has a prime chance to grow in a nation traditionally celebrated for its hockey excellence.
Canada Soccer is set to receive a $9.8 million investment to build a national training and development centre. Renovations to existing stadiums are also planned to support the sport’s expansion. Canada Soccer president Peter Augruso acknowledged a long-standing gap: “For years, Canada has been one of the few major soccer nations in the world without a dedicated national training centre,” he said. “At a time where the game is growing rapidly across every corner of this country, this gap has become impossible to ignore.”
Several initiatives aim to boost soccer’s reach, including the Soccer for All Legacy Program, Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities, and the federal government’s pledge to build 25 new pitches across Canada.
Media attention on the men’s World Cup will be intense, with fans focused on Canada’s recently named 26-man squad and head coach Jesse Marsch’s leadership. While hopes run high for the men’s team, women and girls across Canada are also dreaming big.
The women’s game in Canada continues to gain momentum, highlighted by stars like Olivia Smith and Kadeisha Buchanan excelling in England’s Women’s Super League. Domestically, the Northern Super League (NSL) is entering its second season.
Halifax Tides player Sydney Kennedy, a proud Nova Scotian who played collegiately in the U.S. and Canada, shared her hopes. “Even though it’s the men’s World Cup, young girls and women will still be watching and dreaming of one day playing on that stage themselves, just like I did growing up watching both the men’s and women’s World Cups,” said the 25-year-old. “I hope the excitement around the World Cup continues long after it is over and helps grow the women’s game in Canada even more.”
Canadian soccer legend and NSL founder Diana Matheson outlined what she wants from the tournament’s legacy. “For the past two years, every time someone has asked me what the legacy of this World Cup should be, my answer has been the same: soccer infrastructure,” she said. “More fields. More mid-sized stadiums. Right now, Canada has one mid-sized stadium — between 8,000 and 18,000 seats — for every eight million people. In countries like Sweden, Japan and Australia, it’s closer to one for every 500,000. We’re newer to the game, so that gap is understandable, but hosting the World Cup is exactly the moment to start closing it.”
Canada Soccer CEO Kevin Blue echoed Matheson’s viewpoint. “One of the most important next steps for the sport in Canada is the continued development of appropriately sized soccer-specific stadiums and community infrastructure across the country — facilities that can sustainably support professional men’s and women’s clubs, create better matchday environments, and help deepen the connection between teams and their local communities,” he said. “The momentum surrounding both the men’s World Cup and the upcoming women’s World Cup (next year in Brazil) has reinforced the importance of investing not only in elite performance, but also in the broader ecosystem that will help the game continue growing long after these tournaments conclude.”
However, legacy is about more than infrastructure. Canada’s women’s soccer scene has previously suffered from a lack of visionary support. Beyond the need for a national development centre, women require dedicated spaces to develop professionally through club, regional, and provincial programs. Opportunities exist from grassroots levels to USport and League One or Premier League competitions, offering pathways for girls from across the country.
If professional women’s leagues remain without proper homes and must share facilities dominated by men’s leagues, the long-term legacy for women’s soccer is jeopardized.
Matheson stresses that legacy also means building a sustainable soccer economy. Canadian investors must continue to back clubs and leagues, and corporate partners need to recognize the rising momentum in women’s sports. Media coverage that tells the stories and grows audiences, combined with loyal fans attending matches regularly, will solidify that legacy.
“Infrastructure creates the foundation, but thriving clubs and packed stands are what bring the sport to life,” she said.
Kennedy hopes the Northern Super League will attract increasing attention. “Once people become more invested in soccer overall, they start paying attention to the domestic game, too,” she said.
Acknowledging soccer dreams in Canada are not defined by gender is essential. As the men’s World Cup unfolds, the country must continue to embrace the sport’s positive energy and grow its love for soccer, especially when women take to the field.