Semi-finals set for the 2025 TELUS Men’s Canadian Championship 

The 2025 TELUS Canadian Championship Semi-final matchups are confirmed following a draw that was conducted Wednesday night by Canada Soccer live on OneSoccer at halftime of the second leg Quarterfinal between an exhilarating match between Vancouver Whitecaps FC and Valour FC. ​ 

The Semi-final draw removes regionalization with the clubs redrawn for the Semi-final and Final rounds of the competition. The results revealed the matchups for the Semi-final Round and determined the possible Host Clubs for the Final Match. ​ ​ 

The Matchups  

Semi-Final 1  

Semi-Final 2  

The winner of SF1 between Forge FC and Vancouver Whitecaps FC will host the 2025 TELUS Canadian Championship Final on 1 October 2025. ​ 

Hosting Order  

Generally, the lower-ranking Club in a matchup, as per the Canadian Championship Club Ranking Index, will host the first leg of the series, while the higher-ranking Club in a matchup, as per the Canadian Championship Club Ranking Index, will host the second leg of the series. ​ 

On the Brink of History 

This year’s semi-finalists will consist of three Canadian Premier League (CPL) clubs, and one Major League Soccer (MLS) club. ​ 

In the Canadian Championship Era which began in 2008, Toronto FC lead with eight overall Voyageurs Cups, while CF Montréal has won five, and Vancouver Whitecaps FC have emerged victorious four times. The semi-final match ups begin on 13 August in Hamilton, ON.

If the Vancouver Whitecaps FC lift this year’s Voyageurs Cup, it would tie the record for the most consecutive titles by a Canadian club with four. Toronto FC completed the rare four-peat from 2009-2012. No CPL Club has managed to lift the Voyageurs Cup, as Forge FC, Vancouver FC and Atlético Ottawa will be looking to break that streak and make history this year. 

Broadcast  

All four Semi-final Round matches will be broadcast live on OneSoccer, available online at OneSoccer.ca and via the OneSoccer app, on the FuboTV Canada platform, and as a linear channel on Telus’s Optik TV (Channel 980). 

The Evolution Continues  

Canada Soccer is committed to the continued growth of the Canadian Championship in the years ahead. With the FIFA World Cup coming to Canada, the United States, and Mexico next summer, expanding the number of participating teams or matches presents logistical challenges. In the coming weeks, Canada Soccer will collaborate with leagues to determine the most effective competition schedule for 2026 with different format options to be reviewed and submitted to the Professional Soccer Committee for recommendation. 

Building on the changes introduced in this year’s Championship – including the removal of the away goals rule and a new U-23 player minimum – further improvements are planned. For example, beginning in 2026, we will expand the use of the Canadian Championship ranking index – an objective metric that considers performance in the tournament over the past four years with greater weighting from the most recent year. This index will be used to determine seeding order for all participating teams. The seeding system will be used to ensure that top-seeded teams are slotted into the tournament bracket, ensuring they do not face each other in the Preliminary Round, while also taking into consideration factors such as regionalization. 

About the TELUS Canadian Championship ​  ​ 

Canada Soccer’s TELUS Canadian Championship, also known as the Battle of the North, is the nation’s highest men’s domestic competition featuring clubs from coast to coast across the country, notably professional teams in Major League Soccer and the Canadian Premier League as well a representative in League1 BC, League1 Ontario and Ligue1 Québec. Winners of the 2025 TELUS Canadian Championship lift the Voyageurs Cup and qualify to the annual international competition, Concacaf Champions Cup. Winners of the Concacaf Champions Cup qualify for the FIFA Club World Cup. ​ ​ ​