CPL YEAR 7 PRIMER: All you need to know about the 2025 Canadian Premier League season

2025-04-02

Charlie O’Connor-Clarke, Digital Content Editor (@charliejclarke)

2025 CPL Kickoff News

Welcome to CanPL.ca, the number one source for in-depth coverage of the Canadian Premier League. As we approach the league’s sixth season, we’ve put together extensive previews for each of the eight clubs from across the country. The following is a collection of everything you need to know about the upcoming campaign.

The 2025 Canadian Premier League season begins Saturday, April 5, as Canada’s top-flight domestic professional soccer league returns for its seventh season. The action kicks off with a triple-header, starting in the capital where Atlético Ottawa host Halifax Wanderers.

All four opening weekend matches — and every other game in the 2025 CPL season — will be available to watch live on OneSoccer. Plus, for the first time ever, select CPL games in April will be broadcast across the country on TSN, beginning with a CPL Final rematch between Forge FC and Cavalry FC on April 5 (5:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. MT).

There’s plenty to keep an eye on heading into 2025. The games on the pitch is expected to be as competitive as ever, and dozens of young players will have opportunities to develop their careers at the professional level, with more than 50 U-21 Canadians expected to earn meaningful minutes this season.

As usual, each CPL team will be required to give at least 2,000 minutes to U-21s. Meanwhile, a handful of other roster rules and regulations have been tweaked — including a bump to the Player Compensation Budget, as well as an expansion of the CPL’s domestic player designation to reward longtime veterans who have committed their careers to Canada.

The eight teams will be competing once again for the CPL Shield, honouring the best team in the regular season, and the top five sides will advance to the 2025 CPL Playoffs, where they’ll compete in the same bracket format as the past two seasons to win the North Star Cup. Both of the CPL’s two trophies come with a spot in the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup.

Plus, something exciting to look forward to in 2025 is the second ever CPL On Tour match, which will see York United and the Halifax Wanderers square off in Québec City on Saturday, May 31.

Ahead of this year’s new campaign, the editorial staff at CanPL.ca and OneSoccer have put together comprehensive preview coverage of all eight CPL clubs. We’ve spoken to each head coach to learn about how their squad is looking in preseason, and we’ve chatted with multiple key players from each team to hear first-hand accounts of every side’s vibe in training so far.

Here at CanPL.ca, our writers have put together a full breakdown of each team. Over at OneSoccer, Jordan Wilson chatted with eight players across the league to hear more about some of its Canadian stars. Meanwhile, Mackenzie Barwell has broken down the key storylines of each club in 90 seconds or less — head over to @CPLsoccer or @OneSoccer on Instagram and X for that.

Finally, the gang at OneSoccer Today have spent a few minutes analyzing each CPL team to gauge where their ambitions lie in 2025. Check all those discussions out at YouTube.com/OneSoccer.

With every team stocking up ahead of what could be the most competitive year yet in the Canadian Premier League, you’ll want to learn everything you can about them all before the action kicks off on Saturday.

Luckily, we’ve put all our 2025 preview coverage together in one place here, to catch you up on what you might have missed during the off-season.

To jump to an individual club, click on their name here:

Atlético Ottawa || Cavalry FC || Forge FC || Halifax Wanderers FC

Pacific FC || Valour FC || Vancouver FC || York United FC

Atlético Ottawa

Atlético Ottawa finished third a year ago and went as far as the playoff semi-final, but they still weren’t satisfied after a 2023-24 off-season where they stocked up on big-name CPL talent and had sights set on trophies.

With a new head coach in Diego Mejía, the capital city club are hinting at a more aggressive, high-tempo style of play in 2025. They have the talent to do so; can they meet their own lofty expectations this year?

ATLÉTICO OTTAWA SEASON PREVIEW: CLICK HERE

Watch:

Cavalry FC

For the first time, Cavalry FC begin the regular season as reigning North Star Cup champions. They finally claimed the playoff championship in 2024 with a spectacular CPL Final performance against Forge FC.

Now, with most of that title-winning squad returning, the bar is even higher, as Tommy Wheeldon Jr. and his experienced squad look for more silverware in 2025.

CAVALRY FC SEASON PREVIEW: CLICK HERE

Watch:

Forge FC

Forge also enter 2025 looking to defend a trophy, after winning the CPL Shield as regular season winners last year. They were remarkably consistent in 2024, winning 15 games en route to the title. However, the end of the campaign left a sour taste in their mouths, as they lost to Cavalry twice in the playoffs and watched another team win the championship for just the second time in club history.

The Hamilton side have been busy in the off-season with an exciting cast of new stars looking to make an impact. Can Bobby Smyrniotis lead this new-look Forge team to more success this season?

FORGE FC SEASON PREVIEW: CLICK HERE

Watch:

Halifax Wanderers FC

Out on the east coast, the Wanderers are confident that 2025 will be a better year than 2024, which saw them disappointingly miss the playoffs after tying for the second-most points in the league a year prior.

Patrice Gheisar begins his third season as head coach intending to bring his team back to that high level. There’s been some considerable turnover in Halifax, but plenty of core players return as they aim to bring the playoffs back to the Maritimes.

HALIFAX WANDERERS SEASON PREVIEW: CLICK HERE

Watch:

Halifax Wanderers FC’s 2025 Primary Kit.

Pacific FC

Out on Vancouver Island, the Tridents are getting the gang back together. Two key members of their 2021 championship-winning team, Marco Bustos and Kadin Chung, have returned to Pacific as the club looks to get back to the trophy-winning level it once reached.

Although they made the playoffs last year, Pacific will have their sights set higher than fifth place and an early exit, as they look to establish themselves as a more attack-minded side in 2025.

PACIFIC FC SEASON PREVIEW: CLICK HERE

Watch:

Valour FC

The CPL playoffs have never before landed in Winnipeg, but Valour FC are more confident than ever that 2025 could be their year. With a host of returning stars like Themi Antonoglou, Diogo Ressurreicao and Dante Campbell, plus some exciting newcomers — not to mention the returns of familiar faces Rocco Romeo and Kian Williams — this is a club that’s ready to take the next step.

Can Phillip Dos Santos help Valour retain the momentum they built at the end of 2024, and bring the postseason to Manitoba for the first time?

VALOUR FC SEASON PREVIEW: CLICK HERE

Watch:

Vancouver FC

The Eagles have made clear their intentions of turning Langley, B.C. into Canada’s football factory, and their efforts are paying off already, with young talents like Grady McDonnell and James Cameron earning big moves over the winter.

Now, the club has a new cast of U-21 stars, as they hope to not only develop Canada’s next generation of stars but also compete for trophies in the CPL after missing out on the playoffs in the club’s first two years of existence.

VANCOUVER FC SEASON PREVIEW: CLICK HERE

Watch:

York United FC

Last year was York United’s best season yet, with a club-record finish and a first ever playoff win. Now, they’re looking to raise the bar with a squad full of CPL experience and a star-studded contingent of Toronto-raised talent.

Mauro Eustáquio takes over as the league’s youngest ever head coach after three years as the team’s assistant, and he’ll be looking to take the Nine Stripes to new heights as he establishes his own tactical identity at the club.

Atlético Ottawa || Cavalry FC || Forge FC || Halifax Wanderers FC

Pacific FC || Valour FC || Vancouver FC || York United FC

Atlético Ottawa

Read more: Nathan Ingham and Atlético Ottawa chasing trophies with ‘unrecognizable’ new-look team

Watch:

Cavalry FC

Read more: Carducci: Winning CPL championship ‘fuelled the fire’ for more at Cavalry in 2025

Watch:

Forge FC

Read more: ‘You want to win trophies’: Forge FC goalkeeper Jassem Koleilat looking to carry on club’s legacy of success

Watch:

Halifax Wanderers FC

Read more: Probo: Halifax Wanderers are deeper, more dynamic in 2025; ‘A lot of good players’

Watch:

Pacific FC

Read more: Healthy again, Josh Heard excited to lead rejuvenated Pacific to past heights: ‘Ready to take that next step’

Watch:

Valour FC

Read more: Goal-hungry Shaan Hundal eager to help Valour finally bring the playoffs to Winnipeg

Watch:

Vancouver FC

Read more: ‘He keeps adding to his game’: Alejandro Díaz eager to lead the way for youthful Vancouver FC side in 2025

Watch:

York United FC

Read more: ‘A special feeling’: Ferrari excited for new-look York United after off-season of homecomings

Watch: