TORONTO — Numbers paint a picture of just how popular soccer is in Canada: an estimated one million players are registered in an organized league, with soccer surpassing hockey this year as the most popular sport in Canada, according to a report from Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities.
“We live in such an incredible sport market,” said Diana Matheson, former member of Canada’s Women’s National Soccer Team and the co-founder of the Northern Super League (NSL), which kicks of its second season this weekend.
The popularity of “the beautiful game” in Canada is helping to fuel the rise of the NSL, which has big goals ahead after a banner inaugural year.
“The sky’s the limit,” she said. “Women’s soccer in Canada has always had high expectations and the Northern Super League is no different.”
In its first season, the NSL ended the year with the third-highest average attendance in women’s global football, generating roughly $30 million in revenue and captivating fans across six Canadian markets. The league plans to add a seventh team for the 2027 season.
When asked about the rise of women’s professional sports, Matheson called it a “massive industry globally.”
“It went from a billion-dollar industry in 2024 and is projected to be a $3-billion industry in 2026,” she said. “And women’s soccer is a big part of that.”
Matheson points to a number of different factors fuelling the growing popularity in women’s sports: Franchises are more affordable than the price tags of teams in many North American men’s leagues, game tickets are less expensive, and she says there is a “vibe” that simply makes women’s sport an exciting experience.
The result is a positive atmosphere with engaged and diverse fans.
Add in the deep pool of talent in Canada and Matheson says the NSL gives Canadian players an opportunity to stay and develop here at home.
“What this league is doing is developing professional pathways from coast to coast,” she said, noting that all six teams in the league were strong “from top to bottom” last year.
With the men’s World Cup set to kick off in Canada in a little over a month, Matheson expects interest in soccer, which is already high, to grow even more.
“The World Cup coming to Canada is obviously a generational opportunity,” she said. “I think we are lucky for it to be here, and it is going to add jet fuel to … the most popular amateur sport in Canada.”
She hopes the surge in interest translates to investments into sporting infrastructure, noting a need for medium-sized stadiums and indoor fields.
“If you put up one of these midsize stadiums, you would have two, three or four tenants already when it comes to elite sport,” she said, noting the stadiums would also attract music, cultural and community events, as well.
As the NSL sets its sights on growth and expansion, Matheson expects Season 2 to be even better than last year.
“Instead of six expansion teams trying to figure out their style of play, you have established rosters,” she said. The league has signed 30 new players during this off-season and Matheson promises big things on the pitch.
“What you are going to see on the field is going to be even better this year,” she said.
