The Canadian Soccer League (CSL; ) is a semi-professional league for Canadian
soccer
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
clubs primarily located in the province of
Ontario
Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
, and claims the history of the
Canadian National Soccer League
The National Soccer League was a soccer league in Canada that existed from 1926 to 1997. Teams were primarily based in the provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The league was renamed to Canadian National Soccer League in 1993 following the folding ...
(CNSL).
It is a
non-FIFA league previously sanctioned by the
Canadian Soccer Association
The Canadian Soccer Association (; branded as Canada Soccer) is the governing body for soccer in Canada. Headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario, the federation is a full member of FIFA and governs Canadian soccer at the international, professional, a ...
(CSA), but now affiliated with the Soccer Federation of Canada (SFC). As of
2024
The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...
, it consists of six teams, all located in Ontario. The season usually runs from May to October, with most games played on the weekend followed by a
playoff format
There are a number of formats used in various levels of competition in sports and games to determine an overall champion. Some of the most common are the ''single elimination'', the ''best-of-'' series, the ''total points series'' more commonly kn ...
to determine the overall champion.
The league was formed in 1998 as the Canadian Professional Soccer League (CPSL) by an alliance forged by the
Ontario Soccer Association
Ontario Soccer is a Canadian soccer organization. Established in 1901, Ontario Soccer is one of the oldest sports organizations in Canada. Ontario Soccer is composed of over 350,000 players, as well as coaches, referees, and administrators.
Si ...
(OSA) with the Canadian National Soccer League. The new league was meant to provide opportunities for the development of players, coaches, and referees. The intention of the alliance was to form regional divisions across the nation under the CPSL banner with each divisional champion competing in a playoff format for the
championship
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this sys ...
.
History
Origins and establishment (1993–1998)
After the demise of the
Canadian Soccer League
The Canadian Soccer League (CSL; ) is a semi-professional league for Canadian soccer clubs primarily located in the province of Ontario, and claims the history of the Canadian National Soccer League (CNSL). It is a non-FIFA league previously ...
(CSL) in 1992, Canada was without a Division 1 national professional league. The Canadian soccer landscape was fractured into several different foreign and regional senior leagues. When the CSL ceased operations, three of their clubs (the
Vancouver Whitecaps
Vancouver Whitecaps Football Club is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Vancouver. The Whitecaps compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. The MLS iteration of the club was established on March 18, ...
,
Toronto Blizzard Toronto Blizzard may refer to:
*Toronto Blizzard (1971–1984), the original soccer club, a franchise of the North American Soccer League
*Toronto Blizzard (1986–1993), the later club and franchise of the Canadian Soccer League
*Toronto Azzurri B ...
, and
Montreal Supra
Montreal Supra was a Soccer in Canada, Canadian professional Association football, soccer club based in Montreal, Montreal, Quebec that played in the Canadian Soccer League (1987–1992), Canadian Soccer League from 1988 to 1992.
History
Montre ...
) joined the
American Professional Soccer League
The American Professional Soccer League (APSL) was a professional men's soccer league with teams from the United States and later Canada. It was formed in 1990 by the merger of the third American Soccer League with the Western Soccer League. ...
, which then was the highest-tier league in the United States. The remaining clubs, except for the
London Lasers
The London Lasers were a professional soccer team in London, Ontario, Canada that played in the original Canadian Soccer League (1987–1992), Canadian Soccer League in 1990 and 1992.
History
The London Lasers were founded in 1990 as an expans ...
, joined the
National Soccer League
The National Soccer League (NSL) was the top-level soccer league in Australia, run by Soccer Australia and later the Australian Soccer Association. The NSL, the A-League's predecessor, spanned 28 seasons from its inception in 1977 until its ...
(NSL), the country's oldest and only exclusively Canadian professional league. After the addition of the
Winnipeg Fury
The Winnipeg Fury were a professional soccer team in Winnipeg, Canada. The team was part of the Canadian Soccer League from 1987 to 1992. They were one of four teams to participate in every season of the CSL. In 1993, they played in the Canadia ...
, the league changed its name to the Canadian National Soccer League (CNSL).
Though the CNSL was primarily based in
Ontario
Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
, it operated as a private league for several years after disputes with the
Ontario Soccer Association
Ontario Soccer is a Canadian soccer organization. Established in 1901, Ontario Soccer is one of the oldest sports organizations in Canada. Ontario Soccer is composed of over 350,000 players, as well as coaches, referees, and administrators.
Si ...
(OSA). The OSA operated the
Ontario Soccer League
The Ontario Soccer League (OSL) is a competitive amateur soccer league in Ontario, Canada. The OSL is affiliated with and governed by the Ontario Soccer Association
Ontario Soccer is a Canadian soccer organization. Established in 1901, Ontario ...
which was the top senior amateur league in the province, but Ontario was without a sanctioned professional league (as the CNSL was considered an outlaw league by the OSA). As a result, the OSA completed a study titled ''Image of the Game'' in 1995/1996, which led to plans of launching the Ontario Professional Soccer League in 1997 as a Division 3 league in the
Canadian soccer league system
The Canadian soccer league system, also called the Canadian soccer pyramid, is a term used in soccer to describe the structure of the league system in Canada. The governing body of soccer in the country is the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA), ...
.
As the OSA failed to bring their project to fruition, they reached an agreement with the CNSL and formed an alliance to launch the Canadian Professional Soccer League (CPSL), beginning with an Ontario division in 1998.
The CPSL would serve as a link between the provincial senior leagues to the
USL A-League
The USL First Division (USL-1) was a professional men's soccer league in the second tier of the United States league system. It was organized by the United Soccer League as its premier league for men from 1996 to 2010, above the USL Second Di ...
/
USISL
The United States Interregional Soccer League (USISL) was a semi-professional men's outdoor soccer league that played six seasons from 1989 to 1994. It was the first outdoor league to be operated by the organization known today as the United ...
clubs, and provide opportunities for the development of youth players and referees.
The intention of the league was to form regional divisions under the CPSL banner, with each divisional champion competing in a playoff format for the championship.
Michael Di Biase
Michael Di Biase (born 1947) is a Canadian politician who formerly part of the regional council of the city of Vaughan, Ontario as the deputy mayor and mayor. He was first elected to the city's council in 1986. Following the death of Mayor Lorn ...
, the CNSL president, would serve as the commissioner and OSA administrator Bill Spiers was named league chairman. The founding members included four CNSL clubs
London City,
North York Astros
The North York Astros were a Canadian soccer team that was founded in 1990. The team initially played in the National Soccer League. The team played their home games at Esther Shiner Stadium in North York, a district of the city of Toronto, Ca ...
,
St. Catharines Wolves,
Toronto Croatia
C.N.S.C. Toronto Croatia (Croatian National Sports Club Toronto Croatia) is a Canadian soccer team based in Toronto, Ontario, that plays in the Supergroup Open Division in the Canadian Academy of Football. The team's colours are red, white and b ...
, and four of the OPSL teams:
Glen Shields
The Glen Shields Sun Devils were a soccer team which played in the Canadian Professional Soccer League from 1998 to 2002. They played their home matches in Thornhill, Ontario. The franchise was one of the original teams of the CPSL. Originally ...
,
Mississauga Eagles,
Toronto Olympians
Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
, and
York Region Shooters
York Region Shooters is a Canadian association football, soccer team, that plays in the Canadian Soccer League. The Shooters played their home games at the St. Joan of Arc Turf Field in the City of Vaughan, Ontario. The team's colours were blue ...
.
Early years (1998–2004)
In the initial years of the CPSL, the on-field performance was dominated by Toronto Olympians and
Ottawa Wizards, who had the financial support from corporations such as
Coffee Time, and Oz Optics Ltd. While St. Catharines, and Toronto Croatia – two well established former CNSL clubs – were the prominent challengers in the early years, a change occurred in 2000 within the administration field of the league with
Vince Ursini being appointed the president.
The league was able to acquire a television deal with
Rogers TV
Rogers TV (stylized as Rogers tv) is a group of English-language community channels owned by Rogers Communications. Many of these channels share common programs. Rogers TV broadcasts in the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick, Newfoundland and ...
, which enabled the launch of its own television program, the CPSL Soccer Show, which garnered the highest ratings of Sunday programs shown on the channel. As a result, the league earned major sponsorship deals from
Primus Canada, and the
Government of Canada
The Government of Canada (), formally His Majesty's Government (), is the body responsible for the federation, federal administration of Canada. The term ''Government of Canada'' refers specifically to the executive, which includes Minister of t ...
, which served as the sole sponsor for the CPSL Rookie of the Year Award.
In 2001, the CSA originally initiated a task force named the Canadian United Soccer League (CUSL), which formed a working partnership with the CPSL and the Canadian franchises in the USL A-League to forge a unified professional structure in the hopes of forming a Canadian first and second division domestic league. Meanwhile, the CPSL continued in its original mission of providing opportunities to players to a higher platform by striking an agreement with the
Toronto Lynx
Toronto Lynx was a Canadian soccer team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1997, the team last played in the 2014 season of the Premier Development League (PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Great Lakes D ...
of the USL A-League. The player agreement deal provided the Lynx access to use any CPSL talent upon request, which provided the players the opportunity to play at a higher level. Another effort conducted by the league was in 2003 with the opening of their domestic cup, the
Open Canada Cup
The Open Canada Cup was an annual knock-out cup competition in Canadian Soccer. The competition was first held during the 1998 season as the CPSL League Cup. It was organized by the Canadian Soccer League (formerly the Canadian Professional ...
, to all Canadian professional and amateur clubs to provide a potential candidate for the
CONCACAF Champions' Cup
The CONCACAF Champions Cup, formerly known as CONCACAF Champions League (2008–2023), is an international association football competition organized by CONCACAF as its top continental tournament for clubs from North America, Central America, a ...
. The previous time a Canadian club competed in the Champions' Cup was in the
1976 CONCACAF Champions' Cup
The 1976 CONCACAF Champions' Cup was the 12th edition of the annual international club football competition held in the CONCACAF region (North America, Central America and the Caribbean), the CONCACAF Champions' Cup. It determined that year's clu ...
, represented by Toronto Italia in the predecessor league to the CPSL.
The league continued its selective, cautionary approach to team expansion, but witnessed a major expansion run in 2001 beyond the
GTA and Ontario border to include
Quebec
Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...
and
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...
franchises. The following season, it expanded to 14 clubs to include a
Hamilton
Hamilton may refer to:
* Alexander Hamilton (1755/1757–1804), first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States
* ''Hamilton'' (musical), a 2015 Broadway musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda
** ''Hamilton'' (al ...
and another
Toronto
Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
territory. Due to the increase of teams, CPSL management split the league into two conferences: Eastern and Western.
Kaplan years (2005–2009)
After firmly establishing the league within the Ontario soccer structure, Ursini resigned from his position in order to fully delegate his time to his OSA obligations, and to seek election to the CSA board of directors. Former CPSL management consultant
Cary Kaplan with previous experience as president of the
Hamilton Bulldogs in the
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America that serves as the primary developmental league of the National Hockey League (NHL). The league comprises 32 teams, with 26 in the United States and 6 in Cana ...
was named his successor in the capacity of a
commissioner
A commissioner (commonly abbreviated as Comm'r) is, in principle, a member of a commission or an individual who has been given a commission (official charge or authority to do something).
In practice, the title of commissioner has evolved to incl ...
. One of his first acts was the creation of a Women's Canada Cup, as a preliminary tournament launched in the hopes of creating a future professional domestic league for women. In 2006, Kaplan began a series of reforms beginning with the creation of the National and International Division to replace the
conference system. The intention of the reforms was to re-kindle the spirit of the CNSL days by promoting ethnic rivalries to increase match attendance.
A rebranding of the name was made to the Canadian Soccer League (CSL), with a new set of rules, regulations, and constitution established. The schedule format was changed including the relationship between the OSA and the
Quebec Soccer Federation
Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...
(QSF) was revised with the CSL by the signing of a "Memorandum of Understanding", which provided the CSL with an increased level of autonomy and eventual operational independence from the governing body in 2008. The outcome of the reforms witnessed a 50% increase in match attendance particularly in the GTA with the ethnic based teams attracting the most attention. Fan support would continue to increase for several seasons, with the
Serbian White Eagles FC
Serbian White Eagles Football Club (/''Fudbalski klub Srpski beli orlovi'') is a Canadian semi-professional Association football, soccer team. The team is a member of the Canadian Soccer League, a Non-FIFA international football, non-FIFA sanct ...
and
Trois-Rivières Attak averaging the most. Media coverage was further increased after an arrangement made with
Toronto Community News
Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
, which provided coverage to the league and its member clubs. Rogers TV made additional broadcasting commitments to expand their media coverage to a full season.
Several milestones were made in the Open Canada Cup tournament with the participation of the Toronto Lynx in 2006, and the expansion of the tournament to include teams from British Columbia in 2007. The CSL began an affiliation in 2007 with the
Montreal Impact of the
USL First Division
The USL First Division (USL-1) was a professional men's soccer league in the second tier of the United States league system. It was organized by the United Soccer League as its premier league for men from 1996 to 2010, above the USL Second ...
by fielding their
farm team
In sports, a farm team (also referred to as farm system, developmental system, feeder team, or nursery club) is generally a Team sport, team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any s ...
the Trois-Rivières Attak in the National Division.
Toronto FC
Toronto Football Club is a Canadian professional Association football, soccer club based in Toronto. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference (MLS), Eastern Conference. The team plays its home matc ...
of the
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional Association football, soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams, with 27 in the United States and 3 in Canada, and is sanc ...
(MLS), owned by
Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment
Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. (MLSE) is a professional sports and commercial real estate company based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. With assets that include franchises in four of the six major professional sports leagues in the United S ...
, established a relationship with the CSL in 2008 by entering
TFC Academy to the National Division and TFC Academy II to the Reserve Division. As a result, the league became associated with two of Canada's top three professional soccer franchises by providing a feeder system to the top tier. In 2008, a Reserve Division was formed to build a developmental structure within the CSL and provide clubs with a larger player pool, sufficient playing time for injured players to recover, and a developmental platform for novice players to transition to the professional ranks.
On May 12, 2009, the CSL received conditional approval for membership with the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA). This paved the way for the CSL to create the effective player developmental system needed to provide the missing link between the top provincial amateur level to the MLS/USL on a national level.
CSA sanctioning and match fixing scandal (2010–2013)
After years as commissioner, Kaplan resigned following the 2009 season in order to devote more time to his sports marketing company with Domenic Di Gironimo hired as his replacement. In 2010, the CSL was granted full membership in the CSA as a Division 3 sanctioned professional league in the Canadian soccer structure. Meanwhile, the CSL commissioner was awarded a seat on the CSA Professional Soccer Committee to further the planned expansion of the league to a fully national league with regional divisions under the CSL banner. The league was restructured by merging the International and National divisions to form the CSL First Division with a single table structure. While the Reserve Division expanded beyond the GTA boundary, and was reorganized in 2011 into the Second Division. Where it continued its traditional support role as a reserve, and entry level division for clubs with limited financial resources to meet the standards for a First Division club. A working relationship was struck with newly formed Canadian Academy of Futbol (CAF), which cemented a compete youth structure within the CSL infrastructure with member clubs operating their academy teams in CAF. Shortly following the completion of the 2010 season, De Gironimo announced his resignation from the league citing irreconcilable differences. Additional achievements under De Gironimo term was the sponsorship agreement made with
Givova which granted the company the naming rights to the league, and to the CSL Championship. Other major sponsorships included
Days Inns – Canada, and a record broadcasting agreement with Rogers TV, which provided additional match coverage to the provinces of Ontario,
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is a Provinces and Territories of Canada, province of Canada, bordering Quebec to the north, Nova Scotia to the east, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the northeast, the Bay of Fundy to the southeast, and the U.S. state of Maine to ...
, and
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region of Labrador, having a total size of . As of 2025 the populatio ...
. Finally, the addition of the
Montreal Impact Academy
Montreal is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest in Canada, and the ninth-largest in North America. It was founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", and is now named after Mount Royal, the triple-pea ...
as the second MLS academy club to join the league.
Former CPSL president and CSA financial director Vince Ursini returned to the organization as the successor to De Gironimo in 2011. The league's membership under Ursini's administration expanded to record amount of 28 teams in 2012 with 16 in the First Division and 12 in the Second Division. Their media coverage was broaden with a television agreement with
CogecoTV, and the reintroduction of their weekly television program was picked up by Rogers TV.
On September 12, 2012, accounts of alleged match-fixing was reported by the
CBC CBC may refer to:
Media
* Cadena Baja California or Grupo Cadena, a radio and television broadcaster in Mexico
* Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Canada's radio and television public broadcaster
** CBC Television
** CBC Radio One
** CBC Music
** ...
that a CSL game between the Trois-Rivières Attak and Toronto Croatia held in September 2009 was fixed.
The report, which aired on the news program ''
The National'', revealed court documents showing that €15,000 ($18,000 CDN) in bribes were paid to several players on Toronto Croatia. The game was part of a larger
match-fixing scandal in Europe in which six people were convicted. In response to the allegations of match fixing the CSL issued a statement stating that the league would continue to conduct the necessary steps in order to prevent any future tampering of matches.
Prior to the
2013 season, the CSA informed the CSL that the league would no longer be sanctioned. CBC reported that the CSA's decision was partially based on their inability to handle the match fixing issue. The CSA later announced that the decision was made in order to implement the James Easton Report (Rethink Management Group Report) for the adoption of a new professional soccer structure. The CSL protested the de-sanctioning and appealed to the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada (SDRCC). The sport arbitrator ruled that the CSA had the right to de-sanction the CSL, but ruled that the immediate decisions conducted by the CSA were unreasonable and coercive. The sport arbitrator forced them to reinstate sanctioning to the CSL until the next season in order for the CSA to fairly implement the Easton Report. A notable admission was made by CSA president
Victor Montagliani
Victor Montagliani (; born September 12, 1965) is a Canadian businessman, association football, soccer executive, and the president of CONCACAF. He is a vice president of the FIFA Council.
Biography
He is a former player of amateur soccer club ...
during the SDRCC hearing, where he stated that the decision to de-sanction the CSL was not made on any alleged grounds of match fixing in the CSL but strictly on the decision made by the CSA board of directors to adopt a new soccer structure in Canada.
Recent years (2014–present)
On February 28, 2014, the CSA officially expelled the CSL from its membership, citing violations of rules and regulations. After failing to specify which rule violations were made and without providing a formal hearing the CSL in response filed litigation against the CSA. As a result, the CSL began its operation as a private league for the first time since the 1997 season in its predecessor league. They joined the newly formed Soccer Federation of Canada (SFC), which provided the private soccer entity the services of administration of players, non-playing personnel, match officials and insurance, which they no longer have any affiliation with now.
Significant changes were made at the 2015 annual general meeting of team owners where restrictions on import players were lifted, and a working relationship was formed with the
American Soccer League (ASL) in order to assist in areas of competition and business. A television agreement was made with Ethnic Channels Group, and
beIN Sports
beIN Sports ( ) is a Qatari multinational network of sports channels owned and operated by the media group beIN. The network has played a major role in the increased commercialization of Qatari sports. Its chairman is Nasser Al-Khelaifi, and its ...
in order to broadcast their television program, and revived their sponsorship deal with Givova in 2016.
Affiliations were formed with the Ontario Youth Soccer Association in order to establish a YSA Division to house the CSL Academy teams, and with the Canadian Corporate Soccer League in developing a structure of competition for the city's
corporate
A corporation or body corporate is an individual or a group of people, such as an association or company, that has been authorized by the state to act as a single entity (a legal entity recognized by private and public law as "born out of s ...
clubs in Toronto. While reports of alleged match fixing continued with a report released on October 14, 2015, by
the International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS) claiming that 42% of matches in the 2015 season potentially had illegal and suspicious betting activity. All 12 teams were alleged to have played in a "suspicious" game on at least three occasions. On February 2, 2016, the
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; , GRC) is the Law enforcement in Canada, national police service of Canada. The RCMP is an agency of the Government of Canada; it also provides police services under contract to 11 Provinces and terri ...
(RCMP) announced investigations in the alleged match fixing in the CSL. As a result, the CSL cooperated with RCMP investigations and took measures to monitor all matches during the 2016 season.
Competition format
League competition
There are currently six clubs in the Canadian Soccer League. Traditionally, during the course of a league season teams usually played a balanced schedule of 18 or 22 games from April/May through October/November with the top eight ranked teams advancing to the playoffs. As of recent seasons a balanced schedule of 10 to 14 games has been played. Each match sees the winning team awarded
three points, or in the case of a draw, the teams receive one point each. No points are awarded for a loss. At the end of each season, the club with the most points is crowned the regular season champion.
The playoffs operate as a knockout tournament with single-match legs where the winner of the final is crowned
CSL champion. Fourteen clubs have won the CSL Championship including
Toronto Croatia
C.N.S.C. Toronto Croatia (Croatian National Sports Club Toronto Croatia) is a Canadian soccer team based in Toronto, Ontario, that plays in the Supergroup Open Division in the Canadian Academy of Football. The team's colours are red, white and b ...
(6 titles),
York Region Shooters
York Region Shooters is a Canadian association football, soccer team, that plays in the Canadian Soccer League. The Shooters played their home games at the St. Joan of Arc Turf Field in the City of Vaughan, Ontario. The team's colours were blue ...
, and
FC Continentals (3 titles each). There is no automatic
promotion and relegation
Promotion and relegation is used by sports leagues as a process where teams can move up and down among divisions in a league system, based on their performance over a season. Leagues that use promotion and relegation systems are sometimes call ...
between the First and Second Division. Club members of the CSL vote to determine which, if any, applications for admission into the league will be permitted.
Cup competition
The Canadian Soccer League previously organized a
knock-out
A knockout (abbreviated to KO or K.O.) is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several Contact sports, full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, karate, some forms of World Taekwondo Federation#Sparri ...
cup competition known as the
Open Canada Cup
The Open Canada Cup was an annual knock-out cup competition in Canadian Soccer. The competition was first held during the 1998 season as the CPSL League Cup. It was organized by the Canadian Soccer League (formerly the Canadian Professional ...
(formerly known as the
Government of Canada
The Government of Canada (), formally His Majesty's Government (), is the body responsible for the federation, federal administration of Canada. The term ''Government of Canada'' refers specifically to the executive, which includes Minister of t ...
Open Cup for sponsorship reasons) each league season. The competition was originally formed in 1998 known as the League Cup, and was exclusively open only to CPSL clubs. In 2003, the CPSL opened the League Cup to all Canadian professional and amateur clubs in order to provide a potential Canadian candidate to the
CONCACAF Champions' Cup
The CONCACAF Champions Cup, formerly known as CONCACAF Champions League (2008–2023), is an international association football competition organized by CONCACAF as its top continental tournament for clubs from North America, Central America, a ...
. The competition was renamed with the Government of Canada as the initial title sponsorship, and the inclusion of a $10,000 reward for the champion.
The Open Canada Cup eventually expanded to include professional and amateur teams from Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia. A notable addition was the
Toronto Lynx
Toronto Lynx was a Canadian soccer team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1997, the team last played in the 2014 season of the Premier Development League (PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Great Lakes D ...
of the USL First Division at the time the nations top tier division joining the tournament in 2006. In 2008, the CSL increased the prize money to $25,000, but shortly after the creation of the
Canadian Championship
The Canadian Championship () is an annual soccer tournament contested by Canadian professional teams. The winner is awarded the Voyageurs Cup and a berth in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. It is contested by Major League Soccer sides Toronto FC, Va ...
the competition was disbanded. Since the establishment of the Canadian Championship, no CSL teams have participated in the tournament which determines the Canadian entry into the
continental
Continental may refer to:
Places
* Continental, Arizona, a small community in Pima County, Arizona, US
* Continental, Ohio, a small town in Putnam County, US
Arts and entertainment
* ''Continental'' (album), an album by Saint Etienne
* Continen ...
competition.
Corporate structure
The Canadian Soccer League is owned by its member clubs and managed by a
board of directors
A board of directors is a governing body that supervises the activities of a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government agency.
The powers, duties, and responsibilities of a board of directors are determined by government regulatio ...
made up of directors from each member club. The board of directors sets out the policy to oversee league operations and selects a
chairman
The chair, also chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the gro ...
. Originally new a franchisee were given the status of a playing member, and were placed on a probation for a period of three years before they were granted shareholder status as a member club with equity ownership. In 2011, the ownership structure of the league was reformed into an incorporated body as the CSL Association Inc in order to bring about a slow process of equalization to the status of teams, while compensating the equity owners who had heavily invested in league throughout the years
The current chairman is Vincent Ursini, appointed in March 2011, and the league administrator is Pino Jazbec with Stan Adamson as Director of Media. Previously the chairman also had the function of a commissioner with Michael Di Biase, Cary Kaplan, and Domenic Di Gironimo serving in that capacity.
Sponsorship
The Canadian Soccer League originally sold
title sponsor
Naming rights are a financial transaction and form of advertising or memorialization where a corporation, person, or other entity purchases the right to name a facility, object, location, program, or event (most often sports venues), typical ...
ship rights to
Givova from 2010 to 2012. The Givova deal with the Canadian Soccer League expired after the 2012 season, and was renewed in 2016.
As well as sponsorship for the league itself, the CSL had a number of official partners and suppliers. These partners include companies involved in food and
beverage
A drink or beverage is a liquid intended for human consumption. In addition to their basic function of satisfying thirst, drinks play important roles in human culture. Common types of drinks include plain drinking water, milk, juice, smoothie ...
,
sports-wear and equipment.
Teams
Thirty-nine teams have played in the Canadian Soccer League from its inception in 1998, up to and including the
2018 season.
The following four clubs contested in the CSL during the 2025 season:
Champions
This is a list of all Championship finals played so far. The final was called Rogers Cup from 1998 to 2009. Since 2010 it has been called the Givova Cup due to sponsorship change.
;Key
Notes on name changes:
*York Region Shooters were known as "Italia Shooters" in 2006 when they played in the International Division and originally were known as "Vaughan Shooters" from 2003 until 2005.
*Toronto Olympians were later called "Mississauga Olympians" after relocation in 2002.
*Vorkuta was renamed FC Continentals in 2022.
Performance by club
Head coaches
Since the inception of the Canadian Soccer League it has contributed in the development and supply of
head coaches
A head coach, senior coach, or manager is a professional responsible for training and developing athletes within a sports team. This role often has a higher public profile and salary than other coaching positions. In some sports, such as associat ...
to the Canadian soccer system. The league as it did in its predecessor league managed to attract many prominent head coaches from abroad to provide the experience needed in the development of coaching. Notable head coaches have included
Rudolf Belin,
Miroslav Buljan,
Manuel Gomes,
Rasim Kara
Rasim Kara (born 10 June 1950) is a Turkish former football player and manager. A goalkeeper, he played for Bursaspor, Beşiktaş and the Turkey national team.
Playing career
Born in Eskişehir, Kara began playing as a goalkeeper with the yout ...
,
Ivan Markovic,
Mladen Pralija
Mladen Pralija (born 28 January 1959) is a Croatian former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
Playing career
Pralija began his career in the Yugoslav First League with Hajduk Split in 1977. He made his club debut on 11 November ...
,
Dragoslav Šekularac
Dragoslav Šekularac ( sr-Cyrl, Драгослав Шекуларац, ; 8 November 1937 – 5 January 2019) was a Yugoslav and Serbian professional footballer and coach.
Nicknamed Šeki, he was quick and crafty with the ball, displaying creative ...
, and
Ihor Yavorskyi. While at the same time provide the opportunities to produce and develop head coaches as
Bijan Azizi,
Jason Bent,
Jim Brennan,
Nikola Budalic,
Hubert Busby Jr.,
Rafael Carbajal
Rafael Carbajal (; born September 30, 1960) is a Uruguayan former association football, footballer and current manager (association football), manager for Club Atlético 3 de Febrero.
His playing career was mostly spent in the Canadian National S ...
,
Danny Dichio,
Marc Dos Santos,
Philippe Eullaffroy
Philippe Eullaffroy (born January 9, 1964) is a French association football, football manager and former Football player, footballer who played as a Forward (association football), forward. He is the technical director for AS Dakar Sacré-Cœur.
...
,
Dejan Gluščević,
Carmine Isacco
Carmine Isacco (born September 20, 1970) is a Canadian soccer coach and retired player. He is currently the head coach for the York Lions varsity men's soccer team of the Ontario University Athletics, OUA.
Playing career
College years
In 1989 ...
,
Goran Miscevic
Goran Miscevic (; born 26 March 1963) is a Canadian professional soccer coach and former player. He was most recently the manager of German club FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt, Rot-Weiß Erfurt.
Career
Miscevic was born in Virovitica, Socialist Republic of ...
,
Darren Tilley, and
Duncan Wilde, who have gone on to higher endeavors.
The league's longest-serving head coach is
Uroš Stamatović, who has been in charge of Serbian White Eagles originally in 2012 and returned in 2019.
There have been 17 head coaches who have won the CSL Championship. In addition, 13 foreign head coaches have secured the CSL championship, with 4 Canadians winning the title.
CPSL/CSL regular season records by clubs
First division
Second division
CPSL/CSL playoff records by clubs
Selected seasons overview (2001–present)
See also
*
Canadian Premier League
The Canadian Premier League (CPL or CanPL; ) is a professional Association football, soccer league in Canada and the highest level of the Canadian soccer league system. The league comprises eight teams, from five of provinces and territories of ...
*
North American Soccer League
The North American Soccer League (NASL) was the top-level major professional soccer league in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to
1984. It is considered the first soccer league to be successful on a national scale in the ...
*
United Soccer League
The United Soccer League (USL) is an organizer of various professional and amateur soccer leagues in the United States league system. It currently organizes its Championship, League One, and League Two for men, its Super League and W Leag ...
*
USL Premier Development League
USL League Two (USL2), formerly the Premier Development League (PDL), is a semi-professional soccer league sponsored by United Soccer Leagues in the United States, forming part of the United States soccer league system. The league will featu ...
*
Canadian soccer league system
The Canadian soccer league system, also called the Canadian soccer pyramid, is a term used in soccer to describe the structure of the league system in Canada. The governing body of soccer in the country is the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA), ...
Notes
References
External links
*
League at soccerway.com
{{Canada D3 soccer seasons
Soccer leagues in Canada
Soccer leagues in Ontario
Professional sports leagues in Canada
Sports leagues established in 1998
1998 establishments in Ontario