The Telus Canadian Championship is Canada Soccer’s highest domestic professional soccer competition and serves as a qualification route for Canadian professional clubs into Concacaf Champions Cup and onto the FIFA Club World Cup.
Canadian Championship History
The Canadian Championship is a domestic cup competition organized by the Canadian Soccer Association. The championship determines one of Canada's entries in the annual CONCACAF Champions Cup. Until the creation of the Canadian Premier League in 2019, all fully professional Canadian soccer teams played in United States–based leagues. In January 2019, a new five-round format was announced to include the seven teams of the newly formed Canadian Premier League, bringing the total number of teams competing to 13.
In 2025, the league winner of the nascent League 1 Alberta competition became the fourth semi-pro entrant, joining the three existing League 1 champions from British Colombia, Ontario and (Ligue 1) Quebec, alongside the eleven professional teams, three Canadian Major League Soccer franchises and the eight teams of the Canadian Premier League. The cup format now included a regional element, with and East and West bracket to meet geographical considerations in the early rounds to reduce travel for the semi-pro teams. The Canadian Championship now involves 15 clubs across Canada competing for the Voyageurs Cup and a spot in the CONCACAF Champions Cup.
What's On The Line?
The winner of the Canadian Championship is awarded the Voyageurs Cup and a berth in the CONCACAF Champions Cup.
The Voyageurs Cup was first conceived in March 2002 by fans of the Canada men's national team, known as the Voyageurs, following Canada's surprise success at the 2000 Gold Cup. After years of being promised a domestic Canadian cup by the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA), the Voyageurs took it upon themselves to commission a national trophy using member donations.
From 2002 to 2007, the cup was awarded annually to the Canadian team finishing with the best record in the USL First Division, from regular-season matches against other Canadian teams in the league. Since 2008, the trophy has been presented to the winner of the Canadian Championship. The current men's holders are Vancouver Whitecaps FC, after winning the 2024 Canadian Championship.
The CONCACAF Champions Cup, formerly known as CONCACAF Champions League (2008–2023), is an annual international club competition organized by CONCACAF as its top continental football tournament for clubs from North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. The champions automatically qualify for the FIFA Club World Cup and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup.
2025 Participants
All Canadian Premier League Teams (8): Pacific FC (Victoria, BC), Vancouver FC (Langley, BC), Cavalry FC (Calgary, AB), Valour FC (Winnipeg, MB), Forge FC (Hamilton, ON), York United (Toronto, ON), Atletico Ottawa (Ottawa, ON), Halifax Wanderers (Halifax, NS)
All Canadian Major League Soccer Teams (3): Vancouver Whitecaps FC (Vancouver, BC), Toronto FC (Toronto, ON), CF Montreal (Montreal, QC)
2025 League1 Canada Qualifiers (4): TSS Rovers (Burnaby, BC), Edmonton Scottish FC (Edmonton, AB), Scrosoppi FC (Milton, ON), FC Laval (Laval, QC)
Upcoming Pacific FC Canadian Championship Matches
Pacific FC open the preliminary round of the 2025 Telus Canadian Championship with a Salish Sea Derby against CPL rivals, Vancouver FC. The winner-take-all match takes place at Starlight Stadium on Tuesday, May 6th at 7:00pm PDT with the winner advancing to the Quarter-Finals in a home-and -away series against Cavalry FC.
Click HERE to secure your seats to the match!