Okoronkwo nets 1st-half hat trick as AFC Toronto thumps Montreal Roses FC en route to NSL final

Esther Okoronkwo scored three times in the first 27 minutes of Monday's semifinal match at snow-covered York Lions Stadium and the regular-season champion AFC Toronto defeated the visiting Montreal Roses 4-1, taking the two-leg aggregate 6-1.

Next summer’s expanded tournament will feature 48 teams, and their wildly different rankings, as well as the state of global politics, has made the assembly of the 12 opening groups feel like a delicate proposition.

With more women and girls playing sports, there's been a corresponding rise in injuries that can end participation, according to 109 researchers.

Ahead of Friday's World Cup draw, Canada head coach Jesse Marsch still has roster questions, but likely only a few other than decisions decided by injury.

The draw for the 2026 World Cup will be held Friday at 12 p.m. ET at the Kennedy Center in Washington, for the purpose of dividing the 48-team field into 12 groups of four.

Tickets to next summer's FIFA World Cup games in Vancouver and Toronto continue to be a hot commodity, despite eye-popping resale prices.

The Canadian women played better but the result was the same in their rematch with hometown Japan on Tuesday, extending their losing streak to five games with a 1-0 defeat.

AFC Toronto, coming off its 2-1 loss to the Vancouver Rise in the NSL Final, leaves Wednesday for Florida and the first-ever North American edition of the World Sevens Football seven-a-side tournament.

The Vancouver Whitecaps are heading to the MLS Cup final for the first time in the club’s history after a commanding 3–1 win over hometown San Diego FC in Saturday night’s Western Conference final.

Ninth-ranked Canada fell to its fourth straight defeat Saturday, blanked 3-0 by Japan in a women's soccer friendly in the Asian nation.

Iran has decided to boycott the 2026 World Cup draw in Washington next week because the U.S. denied visas to members of its delegation, the state-run IRNA news agency reported on Friday.

Chelsea's Canadian defender Kadeisha Buchanan knows what it feels like to dream big while living with limited means having grown up around Toronto as the youngest of seven daughters to a single mother, moving from house-to-house. Buchanan is now launching a foundation for girls in single-parent homes to help fund their soccer goals.

York United FC is rebranding, becoming Inter Toronto FC. It's the third name change for the Canadian Premier League side, but first under the current ownership group.

Prime Minister Mark Carney said he plans to visit Washington next week to attend the FIFA World Cup draw, and expects to speak with U.S. President Donald Trump there.

Canada could kick off its 2026 World Cup campaign against No. 66 Jordan, No. 68 Cabo Verde, No. 72 Ghana or No. 86 New Zealand. But the Canadian men could also face No. 12 Italy in their June 12 opener at Toronto's BMO Field.

Soccer fans will receive a refund for tickets they bought for a potential Major League Soccer playoff game at B.C. Place after San Diego FC defeated the Minnesota Loons 1-0 Monday night in the conference semifinals.

The tiny Caribbean country of Curaçao, with a population of slightly less than 160,000, has become the smallest country ever to qualify for the World Cup. Kenji Gorré, one of their players, says making it to soccer's most watched tournament is 'life-changing.'

Winnipeg's professional men's soccer club, Valour FC, has announced it's suspending operations after this year's season.

Winnipeg's professional men's soccer club, Valour FC, announced Friday it has suspended operations. 

The ninth-ranked Canadian women will be without coach Casey Stoney when they close out their 2025 schedule against No. 8 Japan in the upcoming November international window.

Italy will first host Northern Ireland in a World Cup qualifying playoff in March but then would go on the road to reach its first tournament after back-to-back failures at this stage.

Despite domestic turmoil and the lack of a usable home stadium, Haiti’s national men’s soccer team has brought pride to Haitian diasporas worldwide, including a relatively large one in Montreal.

Canada has climbed one place to No. 27 in the latest FIFA rankings, after defeating Venezuela 2-0 and playing Ecuador to a scoreless draw in the FIFA November international window.

Ismael Kone scored a goal in the first half and was shown a red card in the second as Canada closed out its 2025 schedule with a 2-0 win over Venezuela on Tuesday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., in an ill-tempered match that saw both teams finish with 10 men.

The buzz around the Northern Super League in its inaugural season has been plentiful, as it and the six franchises continue to build an audience.

Washington will play in its second consecutive NWSL final next weekend after a 2-0 win over the Portland Thorns. They will face the winner of Sunday's semifinal between Gotham FC and the Orlando Pride.

Ahead of the first-ever Northern Super League final, the federal government has committed up to $5.45 million to support the league and help grow women's professional soccer in Canada.

Ahead of the first-ever Northern Super League final, the federal government has committed up to $5.45 million to support the league and help grow women's professional soccer in Canada.

Nov 15: The inaugural Northern Super League season comes to an exciting close with AFC Toronto and Vancouver Rise FC facing off in this championship clash with the Diana B. Matheson Cup on the line.

The first Northern Super League Final will pit the host AFC Toronto against Vancouver Rise FC. Live coverage begins with the pre-game at 1:30 p.m. ET.