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CPL in 2071: FM21 predicts 50 years of Canadian soccer

Gamers rejoice: The Canadian Premier League is in Football Manager 2021!

Football Manager is one of the highest-selling sports games for Mac and PC. Players can take control of clubs from over 50 countries from around the world and influence everything from day-to-day training to man-managing, and from scouting youth prospects to designing tactics.

All eight CPL clubs – including expansion side Atlético Ottawa – are playable, allowing gamers to take over a club for The Island Games and beyond.


RELATED READING: 5 things to watch for in Football Manager 21’s CPL database || More on Football Manager || 4 Canadian Premier League saves to try in Football Manager 2021


In this case, we took all eight clubs far, far into the beyond. Simulating 50 years of CPL action has brought some interesting results – we’re looking at you, Valour FC – and loads to dig into with FM21’s hundreds of thousands of stats and history pages.

We should note that FM21 does not predict League expansion, so our eight clubs from 2021 are going the distance.

Here’s what FM21 predicts for Canadian soccer in 2071…


Cavalry, Forge & Pacific most successful CPL clubs

(CPL/Chant Photography)
(CPL/Chant Photography)

FM21 predicts Cavalry and Forge’s reign on the CPL will continue in the near and far future, with Pacific FC coming close behind.

Forge has won most titles in the half-century with 15, including three straight in 2023, 2024, and 2025. Cavalry, meanwhile, captured 13 championships, starting with back-to-back wins in 2021 and 2022 and six straight titles from 2032 to 2037, led by Canadian winger Luis Garcia, who stands as the club’s all-time goals leader with 107 in 207 appearances.

Pacific, meanwhile, is the third-most successful club domestically with 13 titles, including four in the 2060s.

Forge, Cavalry, and Pacific are the only CPL clubs to compete in the Concacaf Champions League by advancing through Concacaf League the year prior. No side has advanced past the first round of the competition, losing to MLS and Liga MX sides each time.

Valour goes championship-less in 50 years

Scroll past this, Valour fans.

FM21 says the Winnipeg side will not win a CPL title for at least 50 years, simulating through 2071 and predicting zero Valour championships. Naturally, Valour is the only CPL side in this strange predicament, though they’ve finished runners-up a record 11 times.


RELATED READING: FM21 CPL guide: How to manage Valour FC


Current coach Rob Gale’s connection with the club grows stronger as he remains in his post for 17 seasons. We know he’s an Arsenal fan… is he taking after Arsene Wenger, perhaps?

Easton Ongaro: CPL’s all-time goalscorer

Easton Ongaro and Amer Didic are featured on FCE's all-time Best XI in FM21.
Easton Ongaro and Amer Didic are featured on FCE’s all-time Best XI in FM21. (Click to enlarge.)

FC Edmonton’s Easton Ongaro is the CPL’s all-time leading goalscorer in the game with 116 goals in 293 appearances, all of which came for FC Edmonton.

Ongaro was a consistent 10-plus goalscorer for the 2020s, helping the Eddies make CPL Finals runs in 2022 and 2026. The Edmonton-born striker retired in 2033 at the age of 35. His last goal came in a brace against Cavalry FC in October 2032.

FC Edmonton set new attendance record at 26,000

The Eddies have moved out of Clarke Field in our 50-year lookahead, building a 26,000-seat stadium – the largest in the CPL – in 2035 and selling it out a few years later, setting a CPL attendance record with a CPL Final Al Classico against Cavalry FC. The Eddies won the second leg 2-0, 3-1 on aggregate, and completed an incredible season turnaround where they finished dead-last in the Spring season, winning just once in 14 games, only to run away with the Fall campaign in style.


RELATED READING: FM21 CPL guide: How to manage FC Edmonton


While the Eddies hold the attendance record, Forge FC has kept hold of the highest average fan total… for 50 seasons running. In 2070, the Hamiltonians averaged 21,689 fans at Tim Hortons Field.

Canada’s men’s national team makes every World Cup

FM21 predicts Canadian men's national team squad in 2071. (Click to enlarge)
FM21 predicts Canadian men’s national team squad in 2071. (Click to enlarge)

FM21 predicts Canada’s men’s national team becomes a top-30 nation in world football and makes every World Cup past 2026, which will be jointly held between Canada, the U.S., and Mexico.

The World Cup was expanded to 48 teams in-game, meaning North America submits six teams. Canada advanced out of the three-team group stage in all 16 tournaments and made the Round of 16 three times, including in 2026.

John Herdman led the men’s side to five of the tournaments until 2043, when he retired from coaching. He guided Canada to its only hardware of the half-century with the 2023 Gold Cup. Current Minnesota United standout goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair takes over from Herdman in 2044.

Jonathan David stands as Canada’s all-time leading goalscorer with 99 markers in 231 appearances. The Lille attacker stays at the French club for 18 years and slowly develops as an attacking midfielder.