The first season of the Northern Super League is coming to a close with the championship game scheduled for Saturday at Toronto’s BMO Field, almost seven months since it began. Co-founder Diana Matheson expressed her excitement for the culmination of the season, emphasizing the hard work put in by everyone involved in both on-field and off-field aspects. The championship game between AFC Toronto and Vancouver Rise FC is set to take place, aiming to celebrate women’s professional sports in Canada.
With the Grey Cup following the next day in Winnipeg, it marks a significant Canadian championship weekend. Matheson is optimistic about filling the lower bowl at BMO Field for the match, with favorable weather conditions expected. This is a welcome change from the challenging weather conditions that impacted previous games, such as a blizzard in Ottawa and snow delaying a semifinal.
AFC Toronto finished on top of the regular-season standings, leading with a significant margin of 12 points ahead of Vancouver. The championship game will be broadcast nationally on CBC, with a live stream available on CBC Sports and CBC Gem at 1:30 p.m. ET.
Both teams had a competitive season, with five regular-season meetings resulting in a tie. The inaugural season of the league has been deemed a success by Matheson, with over 275,000 tickets sold to fans from various countries. Plans for expansion are already underway, aiming to add a seventh team by 2027, focusing on Central and Western Canada.
The league has garnered international interest, with an expansion committee formed to explore opportunities for growth. Matheson highlighted Canada as an attractive market for global investors interested in women’s professional sports, citing the league’s strong performance compared to global counterparts. The focus remains on developing the sport’s infrastructure, with hopes that the upcoming 2026 World Cup will spur collaboration between the private and public sectors to build necessary soccer facilities.
As the season concludes, Matheson will present the Diana B. Matheson Cup to the championship-winning team, a moment that she anticipates with a sense of surrealism. The journey of building the league will culminate with the final whistle on Saturday.
