OTTAWA, ON - Atlético Ottawa will play against Major League Soccer (MLS) side Toronto FC in the preliminary round of the 2026 TELUS Canadian Championship.
The official draw was made by Canada Soccer on Saturday evening before the international friendly between Canada and Guatemala on OneSoccer. The first round of fixtures will take place in early May following the finalization of the club schedules for the 2026 season.
Atlético will face Toronto FC in a single game knock-out match with the winner advancing to the quarter-final to face the winner of FC Supra du Québec and Woodbridge strikers FC in a two-match home and away series. This will be Atlético’s first ever matchup against a Canadian MLS opponent in the TELUS Canadian Championship. The venue, date, and time of this match will be determined at a later date.
The 2026 TELUS Canadian Championship comprises three sides from Major League Soccer (Vancouver Whitecaps FC, Toronto FC and CF Montréal), eight teams from the Canadian Premier League (Atlético Ottawa, Cavalry FC, Forge FC, Halifax Wanderers FC, Pacific FC, FC Supra, Vancouver FC and Inter Toronto FC) as well as four semi-professional teams from across League1 Canada (Calgary Blizzard SC, Langley United, CS Saint-Laurent, and Woodbridge Strikers SC) for a total of 15 competitors.
To learn more about the full 2026 TELUS Canadian Championship draw, the competition's structure and participants click here.
About the TELUS Canadian Championship
Canada Soccer’s Canadian Championship, also known as the Battle of the North, is the nation’s highest men’s domestic competition featuring clubs from coast-to-coast-to-coast, notably professional teams in Major League Soccer and the Canadian Premier League as well as league winners in League1 BC, League1 Alberta, League1 Ontario and Ligue1 Québec. Winners of the 2026 TELUS Canadian Championship lift the Voyageurs Cup and qualify to the annual international competition, Concacaf Champions Cup. Winners of the Concacaf Champions Cup qualify for the FIFA Club World Cup.