Canada Soccer visits Julian de Guzman Park as part of 2026 preparations for the National Championships

Canada Soccer had the pleasure to visit Julian de Guzman Park in Ottawa as part of preparations for the 2026 National Championships hosted by Ottawa Gloucester Soccer Club. The visit included a meeting with the Local Organising Committee as they prepare to host the nation's annual amateur competition from 7-12 October in the capital region.

World-renown for its culture, entertainment and sporting heroes, the City of Ottawa and the nation’s capital region will welcome Canada Soccer’s biggest and oldest amateur competition for the first time ever this October leading into Thanksgiving weekend.

Members of the tournament's Local Organising Committee guided Canada Soccer staff on a tour of the venue's Maple Leaf Almrausch Club house which was established for the community's Canadian-German community more than 60 years ago. The venue includes a state-of-the-art football pitch that will be used for the majority of the competitive matches at this year's National Championships.

As Canada’s most accessible sport, soccer welcomes more than 750,000 registered players across the nation. This season, nearly 200 amateur clubs are competing in declared qualifying competitions from September 2025 through September 2026. The National Championships in October will feature nine men's teams and nine women's teams, including the host clubs Ottawa Gloucester SC women and three-time national champion Gloucester Celtic men.

Canada Soccer’s National Championships are hosted each October across multiple divisions and venues, with the 2026 U-17 Cup hosted in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador and the U-15 Cup hosted in Surrey, British Columbia. As Canada Soccer’s largest national event featuring clubs from coast to coast to coast, the National Championships provide a meaningful week-long soccer experience for host cities and participating teams, as well as the players, coaches, support staff, officials, and volunteers.