Northern Super League: The Rise of Canadian Women Soccer 

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It’s finally happening. After all these years of watching the best Canadian players leave to chase dreams somewhere else, Canada finally has its own women’s pro soccer league.

The Northern Super League (NSL) is here. And honestly, it’s about time.

The league officially kicked off on April 13, 2025, with six teams across the country — Vancouver Rise FC, Calgary Wild FC, AFC Toronto, Ottawa Rapid FC, Montreal Roses FC, and Halifax Tides FC.

For the first time ever, Canadian players can stay home, wear a jersey that is authentically Canadian, and build something real here, with their own home fans cheering for them.

For a very long time, we have seen the best Canadian players choose to pack up and head to the U.S. to join the NWSL, or even move to another country just to keep playing at a high level. Those moves gave us amazing players for the national team but at the same time It felt like we were missing something. Canada deserved more than being a talent exporter. We deserved to have something of our own.

And now, the Northern Super League (NSL) is here.

You can feel how much this means just by listening to the players.

Vancouver Rise FC’s Quinn said it best:
“I’m so excited to come home and play professional soccer in Canada.”

The coaches feel it too. Calgary Wild’s head coach Lydia Bedford said,

“The very first home game, we really want to create a special moment that day. Be a part of it. Come on the journey with us.”
It is the start of a journey. Not just for the teams, but for everyone who’s been waiting for women’s soccer in Canada to finally have its moment.

Montreal Roses FC head coach Robert Rositoiu probably put it better than anyone when he said, “They deserve it. Women in Quebec, women in Canada, they deserve it.”
Not just about soccer. It’s about respect, opportunity, and building something new for the generation.

Fans need to be in the stadium and support their team, to support and to witness one of the most exciting things to happen in Canadian women’s sports in a long time.

For more information, please visit:
https://www.nsl.ca/