 | |
| Founded | May 6, 2017 |
|---|---|
| First season | 2019 |
| Country | Canada |
| Confederation | CONCACAF (North American Football Union) |
| Number of teams | 8 |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Domestic cup(s) | Canadian Championship |
| International cup(s) | CONCACAF Champions Cup |
| Current champions | Cavalry FC (1st title) (2024) |
| Current CPL Shield | Forge FC (2nd title) (2024) |
| Most championships | Forge FC (4 titles) |
| Most CPL Shields | Cavalry FC and Forge FC (2 titles) |
| Most appearances | Terran Campbell (119) |
| Top goalscorer | Terran Campbell (38) |
| TV partners | OneSoccer (Canada) Fox/FS1/FS2 (United States) |
| Website | canpl |
| Current: 2024 Canadian Premier League season | |
The Canadian Premier League (CPL or CanPL; French: Première ligue canadienne) is a professional men's soccer league in Canada. At the top of the Canadian soccer league system, it is the country's primary national soccer league competition. The league consists of eight teams, from five of Canada's ten provinces. Each team plays 28 games in the regular season which is followed by playoffs culminating in the CPL Finals.
The CPL champion and regular season winner earn berths in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, competing against teams from across North America, Central America and the Caribbean for a spot in the FIFA Club World Cup.[1] All CPL teams also play in the Canadian Championship, alongside Canadian clubs from other leagues. Qualification for the CONCACAF Champions Cup is also available to CPL clubs by winning the Canadian Championship.
The league was officially sanctioned by the Canadian Soccer Association on May 6, 2017, and has played an annual season since 2019. The league's focus is to improve national soccer talent and the sport in Canada, with several rules in place to ensure this. These include a minimum quota of Canadian players on team rosters and starting line-ups, requirements for domestic under-21 players, and a Canadian university draft.
The CPL's first season included seven teams, while an eighth, Atlético Ottawa, joined for the second season in 2020. Vancouver FC debuted in 2023,[2] while FC Edmonton folded before the start of that season.[3] The CPL is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario.[4]
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
CL-2024was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Canadian Premier League Announces Expansion in Vancouver". Canadian Premier League. November 10, 2021. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
- ^ "Canadian Premier League terminates Fath Sports' right to operate FC Edmonton". Canadian Premier League. November 21, 2022. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
- ^ Milton, Steve (September 11, 2017). "Canadian Premier League working quietly out of Toronto office". The Hamilton Spectator. Archived from the original on April 14, 2019. Retrieved January 10, 2018.