Ahead of the 2021 season, Canadian Premier League clubs HFX
\u200bWanderers FC, Atletico Ottawa, York United FC, Forge FC, Valour FC, Cavalry FC,
\u200band Pacific FC, 2019 League1 Ontario champions Masters Futbol, and 2019 Première
\u200bligue de soccer du Québec champions AS Blainville have renewed their Canada Soccer
\u200bClub Licences.
The seven Canadian Premier League received renewals of their
\u200bCanada Soccer Professional Club Licence, the highest-level of Canada Soccer
\u200bClub Licensing Program. Masters Futbol and AS Blainville received the Canada
\u200bSoccer National Club Licence, a requirement to ensure that the clubs are
\u200bprepared for the hosting requirements that come with their berth in the 2021
\u200bCanadian Championship.
Toronto FC, Club de Foot Montréal, Vancouver Whitecaps FC
\u200band FC Edmonton’s Professional Club Licence renewals for 2022-23 will take
\u200bplace in Q4 2021.
The Canada Soccer Club Licensing Program is designed to
\u200braise the standards of member organizations throughout the country both on and
\u200boff the field toward best principles for development to improve the overall
\u200bsoccer system in Canada.
Launched in 2017, the Canada Soccer Professional Club
\u200bLicensing Program includes the Canada Soccer Professional Club Licence and the
\u200bCanada Soccer National Club Licence. The objective of the Licensing Program is
\u200bto safeguard the credibility and integrity of club competitions, to improve the
\u200blevel of professionalism, to promote sporting values in accordance with the
\u200bprinciples of fair play as well as safe and secure match environments, to
\u200bpromote transparency in the finances, ownership, and control of clubs, to share
\u200bclub and league best practices to further develop, and to formalize requirements
\u200bfor participation in national, and regional competition.
The Canada Soccer Professional Club Licence denotes that
\u200bprofessional clubs in membership have fulfilled all the criteria as outlined by
\u200bCanada Soccer for professional soccer in domestic leagues, Canadian
\u200bChampionship participation, and by Concacaf to be eligible clubs for
\u200bConfederation competition (Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League, Scotiabank
\u200bConcacaf League) leading to international competition (i.e. FIFA Club World
\u200bCup).
The Canada Soccer National Club Licence is a requirement for
\u200bclubs that have earned the right to compete in the Canadian Championship, with
\u200bpotential qualification into the Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League
\u200bcompetition on the pathway to the FIFA Club World Cup. All clubs participating
\u200bin senior standards-based leagues or who seek cross-border sanction will
\u200brequire a Canada Soccer National Club Licence by 2023.