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Canada women's national soccer team

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This article is about the women's team. For the men's team, see Canada men's national soccer team.

Canada National Women's National Team
Nickname(s)The Canucks, Les Rouges, No Official Nickname
AssociationCanadian Soccer Association
ConfederationCONCACAF
Head coachvacant
CaptainJessie Fleming
Most capsChristine Sinclair (331)
Top scorerChristine Sinclair (190)
FIFA codeCAN
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 6 Increase 2 (August 16, 2024)[1]
Highest4 (August–December 2016, June 2017, March 2018)
Lowest13 (December 2005, September 2009, August 2010)
First international
 United States 2–0 Canada 
(Blaine, United States; July 7, 1986)
Biggest win
 Canada 21–0 Puerto Rico 
(Etobicoke, Canada; August 28, 1998)
Biggest defeat
 United States 9–1 Canada 
(Dallas, United States; May 19, 1995)
 United States 9–1 Canada 
(Sydney, Australia; June 2, 2000)
 Norway 9–1 Canada 
(Honefoss, Norway; June 19, 2001)
World Cup
Appearances8 (first in 1995)
Best resultFourth place (2003)
CONCACAF W Championship
Appearances10 (first in 1991)
Best resultChampions (1998, 2010)
Olympic Games
Appearances5 (first in 2008)
Best resultGold Gold (2020)
Medal record
Women's soccer
Summer Olympics
Bronze medal – third place 2012 London Team
Bronze medal – third place 2016 Rio de Janeiro Team
Gold medal – first place 2020 Tokyo Team
Pan American Games
Silver medal – second place 2003 Santo Domingo Team
Bronze medal – third place 2007 Rio de Janeiro Team
Gold medal – first place 2011 Guadalajara Team
WebsiteOfficial website

The Canada women's national soccer team (French: Équipe du Canada de soccer féminine) represents Canada in international soccer competitions. They are overseen by the Canadian Soccer Association, the governing body for soccer in Canada.

The team reached international prominence at the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, losing in the bronze medal match to the United States.[2] Canada qualified for its first Olympic women's soccer tournament in 2008, making it to the quarter-finals.[3] Canada's most significant achievement has been winning the gold medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. The team is also two-time CONCACAF Women's Championship winners, and two-time Olympic bronze medallists.[4]

Canada hosted the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, where they were eliminated in the quarterfinals by England. Canada set a new tournament and team record for attendance in the process, with 1,353,506 and 54,027, respectively.[5]

History

[edit]

1986–1999: Early years

[edit]

With many national federations beginning to found national women's teams, the Canadian Soccer Association held an interprovincial All-Star Championship and national camp in Winnipeg in the summer of 1986 for the purpose of assembling the first Canadian roster.[6] The team was officially picked on Canada Day, and after three days' training, travelled by bus to Blaine, Minnesota for a two-game series against the recently-founded United States national team. Playing its first international match on July 7, 1986, they were defeated 2–0.[7][8] Having been advised by coach Neil Turnbull that losing both matches might prompt the early demise of the program itself, Canada won the second 2–1, with both of its goals scored by Geri Donnelly.[6]

As was the case for most international peers, resources were scant, with the inaugural annual budget for the women's team being $12,000, in comparison to the men's team's $1.7 million. The Canadian Press dubbed the first team "long on potential, short on cash."[6] This would be an ongoing theme for much of the program's history.[9] However, as many Canadian players were products of the American NCAA college system, they had experience with that country's much wealthier program.[7] The team made its first overseas journey, to Taiwan, in 1987, with each player raising or otherwise contributing $1500 to cover expenses.[6]

After decades of largely ignoring women's soccer, FIFA agreed to host the 1988 FIFA Women's Invitation Tournament as a trial for a potential women's global championship akin to the men's World Cup.[10] Canada was one of two CONCACAF teams invited to participate, along with the United States.[11] They reached the quarter-finals before being ousted by Sweden.[12] The tournament overall was a success, leading to FIFA establishing the Women's World Cup, with the inaugural 1991 edition in China.[10] Canada sought to secure the lone berth afforded to CONCACAF at the first CONCACAF Women's Championship in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, but was defeated 5–0 in the final by the United States.[13]

Canada's failure to qualify for the 1991 World Cup had an immediate deleterious impact on the team, which would not play another match for two years, leading to nominal coach Sylvie Béliveau remarking that she was "coaching ghosts."[6] The team reunited for the next CONCACAF championship, this time dubbed the 1993 CONCACAF Women's Invitational Tournament and limited to only four teams. Canada again finished second. Canada hosted the 1994 CONCACAF Women's Championship in Montreal, with the tournament held as a World Cup qualifier. They were again runners-up, securing a place at the 1995 FIFA Women's World Cup.[13] At year's end, the Canada Soccer awarded its first Female Player of the Year award to Charmaine Hooper, an original member of the 1986 roster and widely considered the best Canadian player of the era.[14][15]

Competing at the Women's World Cup in Sweden, Canada played its first match against England on June 6, and was initially down by three goals. The team rallied late in the game, with Helen Stoumbos scoring the country's first-ever World Cup goal (at either men's or women's editions), an Olympico, in the 87th minute. A subsequent goal by Donnelly would see the game end in a 3–2 loss.[16][17] After a 3–3 draw with Nigeria and a 7–0 rout at the hands of Norway, Canada exited the tournament at the group stage.[18] As a result of this, the team would not qualify for the inaugural women's tournament at the 1996 Summer Olympics, as this was based on placing among the top seven teams at the World Cup.[19][20]

Canada hosted the 1998 CONCACAF Women's Championship in Toronto, with the United States absent from the competition due to their status as World Cup hosts.[13] Canada defeated Mexico in the final, with Liz Smith scoring the match's lone goal, and earning its first ever major championship gold.[21] Silvana Burtini scored eight goals during the tournament, claiming both the Golden Ball and the Golden Boot.[13]

At the landmark 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup, Canada drew its opening match against Japan, but lost 7–1 to Norway and 4–1 to Russia, exiting at the group stage for the second consecutive time. Hooper, with goals in both losses, was the country's top scorer.[22] The 1999 World Cup marked the final appearances for much of the squad, including Donnelly, who opted to retire from international soccer.[23][24]

2000–2008: Pellerud and the Sinclair ascendancy

[edit]

Following the disappointment at the 1999 World Cup and resultant failure to qualify for the 2000 Summer Olympics, the CSA sought to recruit a European coach for the national team, ultimately selecting former Norwegian national coach Even Pellerud.[23][19] After the roster dispersed following the previous year's World Cup, he was provided with no scouting information about the nation's players, and opted to travel across the country holding practice matches to assess available players. Among those he identified was a 16-year-old Christine Sinclair, who he immediately named to the team's roster for the 2000 Algarve Cup, their first event under the new coach. Sinclair would rapidly become the team's most important player in the years ahead.[25][23] Later in 2000, Canada competed in what was now called the CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup, which this time featured Brazil and China as invitees. Canada faced the United States in the semi-final, losing 4–1. Hooper and Sinclair led the team in scoring with seven and five goals, respectively.[13] Pellerud continued to bring new young players into the roster in the next few years, with the squad for the 2002 CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup including future mainstays Candace Chapman, Carmelina Moscato, and Kara Lang, in addition to Sinclair.[13] Canada reached the final of the Gold Cup, qualifying to the World Cup in the process, but lost 2–1 to the United States after Mia Hamm scored in extra time. Sinclair and Hooper, with seven goals apiece, tied American Tiffeny Milbrett as the tournament's top scorer.[26]

The 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, held in the United States for the second consecutive time, featured a Canada squad that included veteran players like Hooper, Burtini and Andrea Neil and Pellerud's younger additions, the latter now also including Diana Matheson.[27][28] The team enjoyed unprecedented success at the tournament, losing its opening match of Group C to eventual champion Germany by 4–1,[29] before defeating Argentina 3–0,[30] and Japan 3–1 to place second in their group and advance to the knockout stage.[31] Canada faced defending silver medallists China in the quarterfinal match. Hooper scored in the seventh minute, in what would later be called the most important moment of her international career, giving Canada a 1–0 upset victory.[32] Canada was defeated by Sweden in the semi-final match 2–1, and faced the United States in the third-place match, where they were defeated 3–1 and finished fourth at the tournament.[33] Hooper was subsequently named to the All-Star Team, a first for a Canadian player.[15]

While Canada's fourth-place finish at the World Cup would have been sufficient to qualify for the prior two Summer Olympics, in advance of the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens the qualification format had been changed to involve federation qualifying tournaments. Canada enter the 2004 CONCACAF Women's Pre-Olympic Tournament as heavy favourites to qualify, but were unexpectedly ousted by Mexico in the semi-final, missing the Olympics for the third time.[34] In light of their results the prior year, Sinclair would later admit "we'd planned our lives around going to the Olympics. Not qualifying was the biggest low."[35]

Pellerud sought to improve training conditions and professional standards for the historically underfunded women's team, persuading Greg Kerfoot, the owner of the Vancouver Whitecaps in the men's USL First Division, to help finance a residency program that would allow players to earn a salary and focus on playing soccer full-time in the years leading up to the next World Cup and Olympics. However, this led to conflict between the coach and some players, with Hooper, Christine Latham and Sharolta Nonen alleging that they had been inappropriately pressured to player for the Whitecaps' women's team as part of the residency program. As a result, they were all suspended in advance of the 2006 CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup.[36][37] Sinclair and the rest of the team expressed support for Pellerud, and an arbitrator subsequently found he had acted appropriately.[38][39] The dispute marked the end of Hooper's twenty-year career with the national team, and Sinclair replaced her as captain.[39]

Canada's results at the Gold Cup qualified them for the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup in China. In Group C, the team lost 2–1 to Norway in its opening match. A 4–0 victory against Ghana followed, with Sinclair managing a brace.[40] Sinclair scored another goal in the 85th minute of the final group stage match against Australia, which would have been sufficient to advance to the knockout stage had it held, but Australia equalized in stoppage time and Canada exited the tournament.[41][22] Later in the year, the team won a bronze medal at the 2007 Pan American Games, in what was widely considered an unimpressive performance marked by player complaints about overtraining.[42]

The CSA declined the opportunity to host the 2008 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament, saying they could not afford the estimated $400,000 expenditure, a decision Pellerud publicly criticized.[42] Canada defeated Mexico in a semi-final rematch from four years' prior, earning its first Olympic berth, in what Sinclair called "sweet revenge."[35] The 1–1 event final eventually saw the United States prevail on penalties.[43] At the women's tournament at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Canada defeated Argentina 2–1, with Chapman scoring Canada's first Olympic goal and Lang providing the winner.[44] The team advanced out of the group stage before being defeated by the United States, the eventual gold medallists, in their quarter-final match, with Sinclair scoring Canada's lone goal in the 2–1 loss.[45]

Following the Olympics, Pellerud retired from coaching the national team. In assessments of his tenure, he was credited by Matheson for having created "a competitive, professional-feeling team. Before that, it was just sporadic camps a couple of times a year." Some, such as future CSA president Jason DeVos, argued that his tactics had become outdated by 2008, in light of developments in the women's game.[42] Pellerud himself would later say he had left "a solid foundation, so it was the right time for a new coach to come in with a new view."[23]

2009–2011: Initial success under Morace, World Cup nadir

[edit]

The CSA recruited Carolina Morace, formerly both a player and coach for the Italian national team, to serve as Canada's next coach.[46] Building on critiques of the team that had been made toward the end of Pellerud's tenure, which was described as having "a one-dimensional style of play that emphasized the long ball, physical strength and endurance"[47] Morace sought to introduce the team to a new approach with greater emphasis on what The Globe & Mail would later describe as "the gift of style, of beautiful, technically and tactically advanced soccer."[48]

Morace's new approach enjoyed great initial success, culminating in Canada's victory at the CONCACAF championship, this time called the 2010 CONCACAF Women's World Cup Qualifying.[13][48] With the United States unexpectedly ousted in the semi-final, Canada faced Mexico in the final, winning 1–0 with Sinclair scoring to take the first major senior title of her tenure.[49][50] By February 2011, Canada had risen to ninth in the FIFA Women's World Ranking, its highest placement in four years. However, despite this success, Morace and the team found themselves enmeshed in disputes with the CSA over funding and compensation. On February 4, 2011, Morace announced that she would quit following the World Cup, citing strategic differences with the federation.[51] Days later, the team itself went on strike in support of her, eventually returning to the pitch after the CSA began talks with Morace to resolve differences.[52] She ultimately agreed to rescind her resignation after an agreement was reached to create a management group for the team involving parties including Own the Podium. As part of the agreement, the women's team was to train for the World Cup in Morace's home nation of Italy.[48]

At the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup, Canada faced host nation Germany in its opener, a 2–1 defeat most noteworthy for Sinclair scoring a goal despite having her nose broken by a German player earlier in the match.[53] A 4–0 rout at the hands of France formally eliminated Canada from the tournament.[54] Sinclair would later describe it was "the lowest point in my soccer career, the worst game I'd ever seen our team play."[55] Canada went on to lose 1–0 to Nigeria.[56] Morace resigned as coach following the team's last-place finish, as did her coaching staff.[47][48] While generally praised for her tactical improvements, and having taken the team to a new high of sixth in the FIFA Rankings,[48] some members of the team would subsequently say that they felt Morace had unnecessarily devalued "what makes us Canadian -- the fight that puts fear in other teams."[57]

2011–2018: Herdman's "bronze age" and 2015 World Cup

[edit]

Englishman John Herdman, the erstwhile coach of the New Zealand national team, was hired as Canada's next coach in August 2011. Herdman sought to build on Morace's approach to the team.[58] In time, this would be regarded as arguably the most consequential hiring in the history of Canadian soccer.[59][60] Less than two months into the new coach's tenure, the team won gold at the 2011 Pan American Games, defeating Brazil in a penalty shootout in the final.[61]

The 2012 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament was hosted in Canada. Victory over Mexico in the semi-final secured qualification, but Canada was defeated 4–0 by the United States in the final.[62] The 2012 Summer Olympics in London began in unpromising fashion with a loss to Japan. After defeating South Africa and drawing Sweden, Canada nevertheless advanced out of the group stage as the third seed, led by performances from Sinclair and Melissa Tancredi.[50] Canada faced host nation Great Britain in the quarter-final, defeating them 2–0.[63] This led to a historic Olympic semi-final against the United States at Old Trafford that saw the Americans prevail 4–3, with Sinclair recording a hat-trick.[64] The game was noted both for its high quality of play and for the controversial calls made by referee Christina Pedersen, who many felt had wrongly penalized Canadian goalkeeper Erin McLeod for time-wasting, which penalty had in turn allowed the United States to tie the game.[65][66][67] Canada would go on to the third-place game, Matheson scoring to secure the women's first-ever Olympic medal.[68][55]

The London Olympics had a significant legacy for the women's national team, elevating both its profile and that of captain Christine Sinclair, and helping to make Canada a rare instance where the women's team enjoyed significantly greater visibility than the men's team.[69] Sinclair became the first soccer player to win the Bobbie Rosenfeld Award as Canadian female athlete of the year, and the first soccer player, male or female, to win the Lou Marsh Trophy as athlete of the year.[70][71] She was soon called "the face of Canadian soccer."[55] The team received the Canadian Press Team of the Year Award, another first for soccer.[72]

2015 was Canada's "summer of soccer hosting," with the country awarded both the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup and the 2015 Pan American Games, in addition to matches of the men's Gold Cup.[73] In light of the women's team's last-place finish in 2011 and its subsequent bronze medal at the Olympics, there were expectations on the team to perform on home soil.[74] Herdman expressed a desire "to aim high and make sure 2015 is a memorable year for Canada," in the hopes of accelerating the growth of support for both women's soccer and the sport in general.[75] In the World Cup's Group A, Canada defeated China by 1–0 in its opening match, on the strength of a Sinclair penalty kick.[76] They drew the remaining two group stage matches, but finished first in the group and faced Switzerland in the Round of 16. Defeating the Swiss 1–0 in the opening of the knockout stage, Canada advanced to face England.[77] In the quarter-final, Sinclair scored Canada's lone goal in the 42nd minute, with Canada ultimately losing the match 2–1.[78] The result was generally considered underwhelming, highlight the team's struggles with offence from players other than Sinclair.[79] Centre-back Kadeisha Buchanan earned distinction at the tournament, being named the winner of the FIFA Young Player Award and a place on the All-Star Squad.[80] Later in the summer, Buchanan joined the Canadian squad for the Pan American women's tournament, alongside other touted emerging talents such as Jessie Fleming, Janine Beckie, Ashley Lawrence, Quinn, and Shelina Zadorsky.[81][82][83] Canada reached the semi-finals, losing there to Colombia, before also losing the bronze medal match to Mexico.[82] At year's end, Buchanan received the CSA's Female Player of the Year award, ending an eleven-year Sinclair winning streak, and was also shortlisted for the FIFA Ballon d'Or.[84]

Canada next focused on qualifying for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. The team reached the final of the 2016 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship, thereby qualifying to the Olympic Games, and losing the championship match to the United States 2–0.[85] A month later, they won the 2016 edition of the Algarve Cup, defeating upcoming Olympic host nation Brazil in the final.[86] At the Olympic women's tournament, Canada swept its three group stage games, culminating in a historic win over Germany that broke a 12-game, 22-year losing streak.[87] Canada defeated France in the quarter-final, but was defeated in a semi-final rematch with Germany by 2–1.[88] Playing in the bronze medal game for the second consecutive Olympics, Sinclair scored the game-winning goal against Brazil.[89]

In 2017, Herdman informed the CSA that he hoped to transition to men's coaching following the next World Cup. However, disagreements with then-current national men's coach Octavio Zambrano led to this opportunity emerging earlier than expected, and he was announced as the next Canadian men's coach in January 2018, a move that came as a surprise to the women's team.[90][91] Herdman would later express regret that the news had not been delivered better.[60] Stylistically, the team during his tenure was at its best known for "defending well and being opportunistic on attack."[92] Conversely, goal-scoring outside of Sinclair remained a constant question. Herdman was credited for his motivational skills, and for continued improvements to the team's infrastructure. At the time of his departure, Canada sat fifth in the FIFA Rankings, a new highpoint.[59][60] The Canadian Olympic Committee called the Herdman era "the bronze age."[59]

2018–2023: Tokyo Olympic gold and Sinclair era's end

[edit]

Assistant coach Kenneth Heiner-Møller, previously a coach of the Danish women's team, was named as the next head coach for Canada.[90] Canada pursued World Cup qualification at the 2018 CONCACAF Women's Championship, routing Panama 7–0 in the semi-final to secure a berth. They were defeated by the United States in the final 2–0.[93]

At the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, Canada narrowly defeated Cameroon in its opening group stage match, with Buchanan scoring the winning header.[94] After defeating New Zealand, Canada faced the Netherlands in its final group match, losing 2–1, with Sinclair's goal equalling Brazilian Marta's achievement of scoring in five different World Cups.[95] Facing Sweden in the Round of 16, Canada was down 1–0 when they were awarded a penalty after a hand ball by a Swedish defender. While Sinclair commonly took penalties for the team, in this instance she was aware that Swedish keeper Hedvig Lindahl had saved her penalty attempt at the Algarve Cup the previous March, and opted to have Beckie take it instead.[96] Beckie's attempt was saved by Lindahl, and Canada were ultimately eliminated.[97][98] The performance of the national team was widely critiqued in the aftermath of the event, with many commentators faulting the lack of goal-scoring threat from players other than Sinclair.[99][100][101]

During the 2020 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship, Sinclair scored her 185th career international goal, breaking the record previously set by American Abby Wambach.[102][103] Canada reached the tournament final, thereby qualifying for the Olympics, and lost 3–0 to the United States in the final.[104] The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the Olympics being delayed by a year. Heiner-Møller had originally intended to depart for a job with the Danish Football Association following the conclusion of the Olympic tournament, but due to the change in scheduling, he instead left in advance of it in the summer of 2020.[105]

In October 2020, the CSA hired Bev Priestman as the next head coach. She had previously coached the Canadian women's youth teams and served as an assistant to Herdman before leaving for a job with The Football Association. Looking ahead to the Tokyo Olympics, she said her intent was "to change the colour of the medal."[106] The Olympic women's tournament commenced with a 1–1 draw against hosts Japan, with Sinclair scoring in her 300th appearance. Goalkeeper Stephanie Labbé was injured in a collision, but played through it to make a key penalty save before exiting the match.[107] Beckie scored twice for a 2–1 victory against Chile,[108] before Canada managed another draw against Great Britain to conclude the group stage. A scoreless quarterfinal match against Brazil was decided on penalties, Canada prevailing 4–3, with a returning Labbé a standout in goal.[109] After missing her own penalty attempt, Sinclair advised Priestman that Fleming should take future penalties, which she did decisively in the semi-final match with the United States, Canada winning 1–0.[110] This was the team's first victory over the Americans in twenty years.[111] Fleming scored another penalty in the final against Sweden, which ended 1–1 after extra-time. Canada eventually won the match 3–2 on penalty kicks to capture the gold medal in women's soccer for the first time, with Julia Grosso scoring the clinching goal.[112][113] The result was hailed as the biggest victory in Canadian soccer history, and a capstone to Sinclair's tenure.[114][115][116]

The immediate post-Olympic period saw the retirement of Labbé, who had achieved significant fame as a result of her performance in Tokyo, with Kailen Sheridan becoming the team's new starting goalkeeper in advance of the 2022 CONCACAF W Championship.[117] Grosso scored the lone goal in a group match with Panama to send Canada to the semi-final and secure World Cup qualification.[118] Canada defeated Jamaica in the semi-final, before losing 1–0 to the United States in the final.[119][120]

Longstanding disputes with the CSA over compensation and program funding led to the players calling a strike ahead of the 2023 SheBelieves Cup, but under threat of legal action from the federation they agreed to resume training.[121] With morale low, the team performed poorly and finished last among the four participants.[122] The team played only one additional match prior to the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, a 2–1 loss to France in April.[123] Canada was drawn into Group B, entering as one of the favourites to advance, but with questions raised around the team's offensive capabilities, injuries to key players, and the off-field disputes with the CSA.[124][125][126] With Fleming now widely identified as the team's most important player,[127][128][129] an injury in the pre-tournament that left her unavailable for the opening match against Nigeria was a setback. The match ended in a 0–0 draw, with Nigerian goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie saving a Sinclair penalty attempt. The match renewed concerns about offense.[130][131][132] After a poor first half against Ireland, Canada mounted a comeback for a 2–1 victory.[133] Canada entered the final group match against co-host Australia needing only a draw to advance to the Round of 16, but were routed 4–0 by the Australians, exiting the tournament. They became the first reigning Olympic champions not to advance to the knockout stages of the World Cup. Assessments of the team once again criticized its lack of scoring potential with Sinclair no longer in her prime, as well as its struggles to keep up with evolution of the women's game internationally.[134][135][136]

Following the disappointment at the World Cup, doubts were raised about the team's prospects in its September CONCACAF Olympic qualification playoff against Jamaica, with the latter team having performed unexpectedly well at the World Cup and reached the Round of 16.[137][138][139] Priestman made a number of changes to her configurations, including starting perennial substitute Cloé Lacasse and relative newcomers Jade Rose and Sydney Collins. Canada defeated Jamaica by an aggregate score of 4–1 across the two matches, securing its fifth consecutive Olympic berth.[140][141] Sinclair notably featured in only thirty minutes, coming on as a substitute during the second game at BMO Field.[141] Having achieved Olympic qualification, Sinclair announced that she would retire at year's end, having been persuaded to play in a "farewell tour" that saw the team play four matches across the country, including its first in the Maritimes since 2012.[142] The tour concluded with Sinclair's final match on December 5, 2023, held at BC Place in Vancouver, renamed "Christine Sinclair Place" for the occasion. Canada defeated Australia 1–0 before a crowd of 48,112, a national record for a women's friendly, with Sinclair starting the match and being substituted off early in the second half. Her departure was called the end of an era for Canadian soccer.[143][144]

2024–present: New era

[edit]

In advance of the 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup, Fleming was named the new team captain.[145] Canada won its group and finished first in the overall tournament seeding,[146] ultimately reaching a semi-final matchup with the United States. Tied 2–2 after extra time, they lost 1–3 on penalties.[147]

In July 2024, prior to the start of the 2024 Summer Olympics, members of the team's staff were accused of using a camera drone to covertly record a practice by New Zealand—the opponent of Canada's first group stage match—at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard in Saint-Étienne. Team analyst Joseph Lombardi was detained by local police for operating the drone.[148][149] Lombardi, assistant coach Jasmine Mander, and later Priestman, were dismissed and sent home by Canada Soccer.[150][151] The COC reported that New Zealand had asked FIFA to not award points to Canada for the July 25 match. New Zealand Football said that they had sought "urgent action" from the FIFA Disciplinary Committee.[citation needed] On July 27, FIFA announced that it had deducted six points from Canada in the tournament, fined Canada Soccer 200,000 francs, and suspended Priestman, Lombardi, and Mander for one year.[152] Canada defeated New Zealand and France by identical scores of 2–1 and Colombia 1–0, advancing to the knockout round despite the six-point deduction. Fleming called it "the most unique group stage that I've ever played in."[153] After playing Germany to a scoreless draw in the quarter-final match, they were ousted from the tournament on penalties.[154] After an external investigation, Priestman, Mander, and Lombardi were officially fired for their role in the drone scandal.[155]

Results and fixtures

[edit]
Main article: Canada women's national soccer team results
Further information: 2023 in Canadian soccer and 2024 in Canadian soccer

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

Legend

  Win   Draw   Lose   Void or postponed   Fixture

2023

[edit]
December 1 Friendly Canada  5–0  Australia Langford, British Columbia
19:30 PT
Report Stadium: Starlight Stadium
Attendance: 6,102
December 5 Friendly Canada  1–0  Australia Vancouver, British Columbia
19:00 PT
Report Stadium: BC Place
Attendance: 48,112

2024

[edit]
February 22 W Gold Cup Group C Canada  6–0  El Salvador Houston, United States
21:00 ET
Report Stadium: Shell Energy Stadium
Attendance: 4,421
Referee: Melissa Borjas (Honduras)
February 25 W Gold Cup Group C Paraguay  0–4  Canada Houston, United States
17:00 ET Report
Stadium: Shell Energy Stadium
Attendance: 3,482
Referee: Katia García (Mexico)
February 28 W Gold Cup Group C Canada  3–0  Costa Rica Houston, United States
18:00 ET
Report Stadium: Shell Energy Stadium
Referee: Tori Penso (United States)
March 2 W Gold Cup QF Canada  1–0 (a.e.t.)  Costa Rica Los Angeles, United States
19:00 ET
Report Stadium: BMO Stadium
Attendance: 2,053
Referee: Odette Hamilton (Jamaica)
March 6 W Gold Cup SF Canada  2–2 (a.e.t.)
(1–3 p)		  United States San Diego, United States
22:15 ET
Report
Stadium: Snapdragon Stadium
Attendance: 15,245
Referee: Katia García (Mexico)
Penalties
April 6 SheBelieves Cup SF Canada  1–1
(4–2 p)		  Brazil Atlanta, United States
15:30 ET
Report
Stadium: Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Attendance: 50,644
Referee: Tori Penso (United States)
Penalties
April 9 SheBelieves Cup F United States  2–2
(5–4 p)		  Canada Columbus, United States
 Report
Stadium: Lower.com Field
Attendance: 19,049
Referee: Crystal Sobers (Trinidad and Tobago)
Penalties
June 1 Friendly Canada  2–0  Mexico Montréal, Québec
2:00PM ET
Report Stadium: Stade Saputo
Attendance: 15,319
Referee: Alyssa Nichols (United States)
June 4 Friendly Canada  1–1  Mexico Toronto, Ontario
7:30PM ET
Report
Stadium: BMO Field
Attendance: 18,805
Referee: Marianela Araya (Costa Rica)
July 13 Unofficial Friendly Australia  1–2  Canada Marbella, Spain
21:00 UTC+02:00
Report
Attendance: 0 (behind closed doors)
July 17 Unofficial Friendly Nigeria  0–1  Canada Marbella, Spain
Report Huitema Attendance: 0 (behind closed doors)
July 25 Olympics GS Canada  2–1  New Zealand Saint-Étienne, France
11:00 ET
Report
Stadium: Stade Geoffroy-Guichard
Attendance: 2,674
Referee: Tess Olofsson (Sweden)
July 28 Olympics GS France  1–2  Canada Saint-Étienne, France
15:00 ET
Report
Stadium: Stade Geoffroy-Guichard
Referee: Bouchra Karboubi (Morocco)
July 31 Olympics GS Colombia  0–1  Canada Nice, France
15:00 ET Report
Stadium: Stade de Nice
Referee: Rebecca Welch (Great Britain)
August 3 Olympics QF Canada  0–0 (a.e.t.)
(2–4 p)		  Germany Marseille, France
13:00 ET Report Stadium: Stade de Marseille
Referee: Edina Alves Batista (Brazil)
Penalties
October 25 Friendly Spain  1–1  Canada Almendralejo, Spain
4:00PM ET
Report
Stadium: Estadio Francisco de la Hera
Attendance: 10,500
Referee: Ewa Augustyn (Poland)
November 29 Friendly Canada  v  Iceland Murcia, Spain
1:00PM ET Report Stadium: Pinatar Arena
December 3 Friendly Canada  v  South Korea Murcia, Spain
12:00PM ET Report Stadium: Pinatar Arena

Players

[edit]
Main article: List of Canada women's international soccer players

Current squad

[edit]

The following players were named to the squad for the 25 October friendly match against  Spain.[156][157]

Caps and goals are current as of October 25, 2024 after the match against  Spain.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Kailen Sheridan (1995-07-16) July 16, 1995 (age 29) 55 0 United States San Diego Wave
18 1GK Sabrina D'Angelo (1993-05-11) May 11, 1993 (age 31) 17 0 England Aston Villa
22 1GK Lysianne Proulx (1999-04-17) April 17, 1999 (age 25) 0 0 Italy Juventus
3 2DF Kadeisha Buchanan (1995-11-05) November 5, 1995 (age 29) 154 6 England Chelsea
4 2DF Shelina Zadorsky (1992-10-24) October 24, 1992 (age 32) 102 6 England West Ham United
10 2DF Ashley Lawrence (1995-06-11) June 11, 1995 (age 29) 139 8 England Chelsea
12 2DF Jade Rose (2003-02-12) February 12, 2003 (age 21) 26 0 United States Harvard Crimson
14 2DF Vanessa Gilles (1996-03-11) March 11, 1996 (age 28) 46 6 France Lyon
21 2DF Gabrielle Carle (1998-10-12) October 12, 1998 (age 26) 50 1 United States Washington Spirit
25 2DF Emma Regan (2000-01-28) January 28, 2000 (age 24) 3 0 Denmark HB Køge
7 3MF Julia Grosso (2000-08-29) August 29, 2000 (age 24) 67 3 United States Chicago Red Stars
13 3MF Simi Awujo (2003-09-23) September 23, 2003 (age 21) 21 1 England Manchester United
17 3MF Jessie Fleming (captain) (1998-03-11) March 11, 1998 (age 26) 137 20 United States Portland Thorns
23 3MF Olivia Smith (2004-08-05) August 5, 2004 (age 20) 11 2 England Liverpool
26 3MF Marie-Yasmine Alidou (1995-04-28) April 28, 1995 (age 29) 3 1 Portugal Benfica
6 4FW Deanne Rose (1999-03-03) March 3, 1999 (age 25) 84 11 England Leicester City
9 4FW Jordyn Huitema (2001-05-08) May 8, 2001 (age 23) 86 21 United States Seattle Reign
15 4FW Nichelle Prince (1995-02-19) February 19, 1995 (age 29) 102 16 United States Kansas City Current
16 4FW Janine Beckie (1994-08-20) August 20, 1994 (age 30) 110 36 United States Racing Louisville
19 4FW Adriana Leon (1992-10-02) October 2, 1992 (age 32) 119 40 England Aston Villa
24 4FW Evelyne Viens (1997-02-06) February 6, 1997 (age 27) 36 6 Italy Roma

Recent call-ups

[edit]

The following players were named to a squad in the last 12 months.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Anna Karpenko (2002-04-10) April 10, 2002 (age 22) 0 0 United States Harvard Crimson v.  United States; April 9, 2024
GK Melissa Dagenais (2000-12-07) December 7, 2000 (age 23) 0 0 Portugal Damaiense 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup PRO
GK Laurence Gladu (2002-08-27) August 27, 2002 (age 22) 0 0 United States Penn Quakers 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup PRE
GK Kayza Massey (2001-02-02) February 2, 2001 (age 23) 0 0 United States West Virginia Mountaineers 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup PRO
DF Jayde Riviere (2001-01-22) January 22, 2001 (age 23) 45 1 England Manchester United 2024 Summer Olympics
DF Sydney Collins (1999-09-08) September 8, 1999 (age 25) 6 0 United States North Carolina Courage 2024 Summer Olympics INJ
DF Bianca St-Georges (1997-07-28) July 28, 1997 (age 27) 11 0 United States North Carolina Courage v.  United States; April 9, 2024
DF Megan Reid (1996-07-09) July 9, 1996 (age 28) 0 0 United States Angel City 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup PRE
MF Desiree Scott RET (1987-07-31) July 31, 1987 (age 37) 187 0 United States Kansas City Current 2024 Summer Olympics
MF Quinn (1995-08-11) August 11, 1995 (age 29) 104 6 United States Seattle Reign 2024 Summer Olympics
MF Sarah Stratigakis (1999-03-07) March 7, 1999 (age 25) 5 1 England Bristol City 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup PRO
MF Jeneva Hernandez Gray (2006-10-05) October 5, 2006 (age 18) 0 0 Canada Vancouver Whitecaps 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup PRO
MF Sophie Schmidt RET (1988-06-28) June 28, 1988 (age 36) 226 20 United States Houston Dash v.  Australia; December 6, 2023
FW Cloé Lacasse INJ (1993-07-07) July 7, 1993 (age 31) 39 6 United States Utah Royals v.  Spain; October 25, 2024
FW Clarissa Larisey (1999-07-02) July 2, 1999 (age 25) 10 1 Sweden BK Häcken v.  Mexico; June 4, 2024
FW Latifah Abdu (2001-10-18) October 18, 2001 (age 23) 1 0 France Dijon 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup PRO
FW Christine Sinclair RET (1983-06-12) June 12, 1983 (age 41) 331 190 United States Portland Thorns v.  Australia; December 6, 2023
  • ALT = Alternate
  • PRE = Preliminary squad
  • PRO = Provisional roster
  • RET = Retired from the national team
  • INJ = Withdrew due to injury

Coaching staff

[edit]

Current staff

[edit]
Position Staff
Head coach vacant
Assistant coach England Andy Spence
Assistant coach Canada Melissa Tancredi
Goalkeeper coach England Jen Hurst
Performance analyst vacant

Source: [citation needed]

[158]

Coaching history

[edit]
See also: Category:Canada women's national soccer team managers
Name Nation From To
Neil Turnbull  Canada 1986 1991
Sylvie Béliveau  Canada 1993 1995
Neil Turnbull  Canada 1996 1999
Even Pellerud  Norway 2000 2008
Carolina Morace  Italy 2009 2011
John Herdman  England 2011 2018
Kenneth Heiner-Møller  Denmark 2018 2020
Bev Priestman  England 2020 2024

Individual records

[edit]
Main article: List of Canada women's international soccer players
As of October 25, 2024[159]
Players in bold are still active with the national team.

Competitive record

[edit]

  Champions    Runners-up    Third place     Tournament played fully or partially on home soil  

FIFA Women's World Cup

[edit]
Main article: Canada at the FIFA Women's World Cup
FIFA Women's World Cup record
Year Result Rank Pld W D* L GF GA
China 1991 Did not qualify
Sweden 1995 Group stage 10/12 3 0 1 2 5 13
United States 1999 Group stage 12/16 3 0 1 2 3 12
United States 2003 Fourth place 4/16 6 3 0 3 10 10
China 2007 Group stage 9/16 3 1 1 1 7 4
Germany 2011 Group stage 16/16 3 0 0 3 1 7
Canada 2015 Quarter-finals 6/24 5 2 2 1 4 3
France 2019 Round of 16 11/24 4 2 0 2 4 3
AustraliaNew Zealand 2023 Group stage 21/32 3 1 1 1 2 5
Brazil 2027 To be determined
Total 8/10 Best: 4th 30 9 6 15 36 57
*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.
The team defeated Brazil for the bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics in Rio

Summer Olympics

[edit]
Summer Olympics record
Year Result Pld W D* L GF GA
United States 1996 Did not qualify
Australia 2000
Greece 2004
China 2008 Quarter-finals 4 1 1 2 5 6
United Kingdom 2012 Third place 6 3 1 2 12 8
Brazil 2016 Third place 6 5 0 1 10 5
Japan 2020 Champions 6 2 4 0 6 4
France 2024 Quarter-finals 4 3 1 0 5 2
Total 5/8 26 14 7 5 38 25
*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

CONCACAF W Championship

[edit]
CONCACAF W Championship record
Year Result Pld W D* L GF GA
Haiti 1991 Runners-up 5 4 0 1 23 5
United States 1993 Third place 3 1 1 1 4 1
Canada 1994 Runners-up 4 3 0 1 18 6
Canada 1998 Champions 5 5 0 0 42 0
United States 2000 Fourth place 5 2 0 3 20 12
CanadaUnited States 2002 Runners-up 5 4 0 1 26 3
United States 2006 Runners-up 2 1 0 1 5 2
Mexico 2010 Champions 5 5 0 0 17 0
United States 2014 Did not participate
United States 2018 Runners-up 5 4 0 1 24 3
Mexico 2022 Runners-up 5 4 0 1 12 1
Total 10/11 44 33 1 10 191 33
*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

CONCACAF W Gold Cup

[edit]
CONCACAF W Gold Cup record
Year Result Pld W D* L GF GA
United States 2024 Semi-finals 5 4 1 0 16 2
Total 1/1 5 4 1 0 16 2
*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

Pan American Games

[edit]
Pan American Games record
Year Result Pld W D* L GF GA
Canada 1999 Fourth place 6 3 2 1 16 9
Dominican Republic 2003 Runners-up 4 2 0 2 8 10
Brazil 2007 Third place 6 4 0 2 25 11
Mexico 2011 Champions 5 3 2 0 7 3
Canada 2015 Fourth place 5 1 0 4 6 9
Peru 2019 Withdrew
Chile 2023
Total 5/7 26 13 4 9 62 42
*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

Minor tournaments

[edit]

SheBelieves Cup

[edit]

The SheBelieves Cup is a global invitational tournament for national teams in women's soccer hosted in the United States.

United States SheBelieves Cup record
Year Result Pld W D L GF GA Coach
2021 Third place 3 1 0 2 1 3 England Bev Priestman
2023 Fourth place 3 1 0 2 2 5
2024 Runners-up 2 0 2 0 3 3
Total 3/9 8 2 2 4 6 11

Arnold Clark Cup

[edit]

The Arnold Clark Cup is a global invitational tournament for national teams in women's soccer hosted in England.

England Arnold Clark Cup record
Year Result Pld W D L GF GA Coach
2022 Third place 3 1 1 1 2 2 England Bev Priestman
Total 1/2 3 1 1 1 2 2 —

Head-to-head record

[edit]
Key
  Positive balance (more wins than losses)
  Neutral balance (as many wins as losses)
  Negative balance (more losses than wins)

The following table shows Canada's all-time official international record per opponent:

As of October 25, 2024[160]

FIFA World Ranking

[edit]
See also: FIFA Women's World Rankings
A line chart depicting the history of Canada's year-end placements in the FIFA World Rankings.

Last update was on March 15, 2024[161]

  Best Ranking  
  Worst Ranking  
  Best Mover  
  Worst Mover  

Canada's FIFA World Ranking History
Rank Year Best Worst
Rank Move Rank Move
10 2023 6 Steady 10 Decrease 3
6 2022 6 Increase 1 7 Decrease 1
6 2021 6 Increase 2 8 Steady
8 2020 8 Steady 8 Steady
8 2019 5 Steady 8 Decrease 2
5 2018 4 Increase 1 5 Decrease 1
5 2017 4 Increase 1 5 Decrease 1
4 2016 4 Increase 6 10 Steady
11 2015 8 Increase 1 11 Decrease 3
9 2014 7 Steady 9 Decrease 1
7 2013 7 Increase 1 8 Decrease 1
7 2012 7 Steady 7 Steady
7 2011 6 Increase 3 9 Decrease 2
9 2010 9 Increase 4 13 Decrease 2
12 2009 11 Increase 1 13 Decrease 2
11 2008 9 Steady 11 Decrease 1
9 2007 9 Increase 1 10 Steady
11 2006 10 Increase 1 12 Decrease 1
13 2005 11 Steady 13 Decrease 1
11 2004 11 Increase 1 12 Decrease 1
11 2003 11 Increase 2 12 Steady

Honours

[edit]

Major competitions

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Canada women's national association football team.
Sporting positions
Preceded by CONCACAF Champions
1998 (First title) 		Succeeded by
Preceded by CONCACAF Champions
2010 (Second title) 		Succeeded by
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