Christine Sinclair, Diana Matheson announce Canadian women’s pro soccer league for 2025

Apr 8, 2022; Vancouver, BC, Canada;  Women's Canadian National forward Christine Sinclair (12) awaits the start of play against the Women's Nigeria National team during the first half at BC Place. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports
By The Athletic Staff
Dec 6, 2022

Canadian women’s soccer players Christine Sinclair and Diana Matheson revealed plans for a Canadian professional women’s soccer league in an announcement on CBC’s “The National” Monday night. Here’s what you need to know:

  • The league will kick off in April 2025.
  • The league will feature eight teams across Canada, with every club having at least one Canadian international player.
  • According to Matheson, the Vancouver Whitecaps are the first team to commit to the league.

Backstory

The Canadian women’s national team played its first international match on July 7, 1986. Since then, the senior team has competed in eight Women’s World Cups, 10 CONCACAF Women’s Championships and four Olympic Games. The pinnacle of the women’s team’s success came at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, when Canada defeated Sweden to win the gold medal.

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Sinclair and Matheson are pillars of Canadian women’s soccer. Matheson retired in July 2021 with 19 goals for Canada in 206 match appearances. Her career highlight was scoring against France in the 92nd minute to secure the bronze medal for Canada at the London 2012 Olympics.

Sinclair is the world’s all-time international goal leader (man or woman) with 190 in 319 caps for country. She’s played on the senior women’s national team for over 20 years and is a three-time NWSL champion with the Portland Thorns.

Matheson and her business partners at Project Eight Sports are building the league. Sinclair is an official advisor on the board.

There are over 100 Canadian women playing professional soccer abroad. The new Canadian women’s league will hope to bring over half of these players back home to play in Canada.

Currently, Canada has a domestic men’s soccer league called the Canadian Premier League (CPL). By 2025, a Canadian professional women’s league will also exist, joining other domestic leagues around the world (NWSL, FA Women’s Super League) in providing pathways for homegrown women players.

What they’re saying

Sinclair told CBC’s Adrienne Arsenault about her motivation to be involved in the new league:

“The whole idea behind this is to aim high. And like, if you’re not, what’s the point?” Sinclair said.

“So let’s go out from the get-go and compete with the best leagues in the world and bring in the top talent. And yeah, have 10-year-olds watching a game that 10 years later is on the Whitecaps, for instance. That would be my dream.”

Matheson told the CBC how this new league will enhance pathways for homegrown Canadian women players:

“It’s time to change the narrative and inspire the next group,” Matheson said. “I believe kids need to see it to believe that it’s possible to happen. And with the launch of this league, kids will be able to go into their own backyard and watch their heroes play and dream of one day representing their hometown professional club and maybe representing Canada.”

Required reading

(Photo: Anne-Marie Sorvin / USA Today)

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