This was a big year for soccer in Canada.

Whether through the successes of the men’s and women’s national teams across all age groups, or the endeavours of clubs new and old throughout the year, or the individual players who call Canada home, 2018 was defined by the reaching of greater heights with one eye toward an even brighter future.

With that in mind, the editorial staff at CanPL.ca each submitted their top 20 moments, with the 18 combined top vote-getting stories making up this final ranking. Here are stories 6 through 1 in Part 3 of this three-part feature exploring the biggest moments from Canadian soccer in 2018:

6) Toronto FC defeats Tigres UANL, Club America, but loses final

Oh, what could have been for Toronto FC.

Following up on the greatest single-season haul in MLS history, Greg Vanney’s side took on the trials of the CONCACAF Champions League, but did so against tremendous odds. While other MLS teams faced a daunting foe or two, Toronto’s path to the final saw the Reds square off against the two heavyweights of the competitions – Mexican sides Club America and Tigres UANL.

Make no mistake about it: Toronto FC was mismatched against these two sides. And yet, on both occasions, the Reds prevailed, booking a final against Chivas. It’s a story that would have ranked much higher on this list, if the cruel fate of a penalty shootout had gone the other way, but the journey to the final alone was worthy of spot No. 6.

5) Canadian women’s national team qualifies for 2019 World Cup

OK, so maybe this was a expected, since Christine Sinclair and co. qualified for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France by way of a 7-0 trouncing of Panama, but a World Cup berth is a World Cup berth, no matter how you slice it.

Canada’s women have long been the more accomplished of the two senior national team programs, and this latest qualification – the country’s eighth time qualifying – is just the latest milestone moment for a program now under the watchful eye of head coach Kenneth Heiner-Møller.

The next one for Canada? Making a World Cup final.

4) John Herdman moves to Canada Men’s National Team

Who saw this one coming?

The Canadian national team program rang in the new year with a major news item as long-time Canada women’s national team manager John Herdman was announced as the new head coach of the men’s program, replacing outgoing bench boss Octavio Zambrano.

It was a bit of a shock appointment, but was well-received by supporters as Herdman was already a fan-favourite during his time with the women’s program. And, he racked up a fair share of successes in the 12 months that followed, with his team conceding zero goals and going undefeated in 2018.

3) Alphonso Davies signs for Bayern Munich

Alphonso Davies is not the first Canadian player to sign for a club in Germany.

But something about his move to Bayern Munich felt different. No Canadian has been scooped up by as big a club with as much fanfare or for, well, as much – an MLS transfer record-breaking total of more than $22 million U.S., according to his former club, the Vancouver Whitecaps.

It’s the sort of blockbuster move that Canadian soccer has been waiting for, and a watershed moment for the program in general. Davies is off to Europe with dreams of playing at the highest level. By all indications, Bayern boss Niko Kovac intends to slot him into the first team, too. All eyes are on “Phonzie” now.

2) Canada awarded co-hosting duty for 2026 FIFA World Cup

Canada was named as one of the co-hosts of the 2026 FIFA World Cup following a meeting of the 68th FIFA Congress in Moscow.

So, officially, men’s World Cup soccer is coming to Canada in eight years’ time, as select Canadian cities will host almost a dozen matches in an expanded 48-team format. Canada’s co-hosts south of the border, the United States and Mexico, formed the “United Bid,” which beat Morocco for the honour of welcoming the world for the biggest stage in the sport, as players now dream of hoisting the iconic trophy in North America.

Canadian players, too, will be dreaming of their chance to represent their country in the quadrennial competition.

1) Canadian Premier League announced with official name, logo

Canada finally has a soccer league to call its own.

Formal details were announced in April of 2018 as the Canadian Premier League name and logo were officially revealed, and a new chapter in Canadian soccer had begun at long last.

The CPL isn’t just a first division league, though: it’s the first step toward developing talent toward the national team as Canada prepares to host the world in 2026. With new developments each and every month, the CPL proved the prevailing story in Canadian soccer throughout 2018 from coast-to-coast.

And, it’s just getting started.

See PART 1 of this three-part series and PART 2.