Atlético Ottawa confirmed Friday that head coach Diego Mejía will return for the 2026 Canadian Premier League season after the club exercised his contract option.
Mejía, 42, led Atlético Ottawa to the North Star Cup for the first time in club history as winners of the 2025 Canadian Premier League. Mejía joined Atlético on Jan. 15, 2025, and has had the option to extend his contract for 2026 executed by mutual agreement.
“I’m delighted to be returning for another season after an incredible year with the club,” said Mejía. “We were the best team in the league and, in the end, we showed that to the entire world. Now we continue to evolve our philosophy. We want to grow soccer in Ottawa and Canada, while promoting the success of young players through mentorship from senior professionals.
“Preparations are underway for the 2026 season, beginning with the incredible challenge of continental soccer in Concacaf, followed by our defence of the North Star Cup with the support of our growing fanbase. We want to accomplish what no other team has done before.”
The list of accomplishments for Atlético in Mejía’s inaugural season is extensive. Atleti became the first club in CPL history to go undefeated at home in the regular season, while setting a new goal-scoring record (54 goals). They would subsequently become the only CPL team to not lose a single match at home in all competitions (12-6-0).
Faith in young Canadian players was marked by a club record of 8,575 minutes by domestic U-21 players in the Regular Season (10,663 minutes - all competitions). In unprecedented fashion, this faith was also rewarded with one of the best CPL campaigns in league history. Atleti finished second with 56 points (club record and third highest tally in league history), had the second-best defence of the season (30 goals conceded), had 3,000 passes more than any other team (16,955), and had the most shots of any team (338).