Written by Composer.ly Personal
Now that Canada is back on the world football stage for the 2022 FIFA World Cup (after a long, long wait), it’s time to revisit the history of soccer in Canada. This country may be known for producing hockey stars, but there’s so much more to its rich sporting history. Football’s 150+ years have a lot to say, from pioneering icons to league victories.
What better way to celebrate the return of Canada’s men’s team to the World Cup in Qatar than revisiting some of the most unforgettable moments in football history? Here are the best historic moments in Canadian soccer.
1. Team Canada wins its first Olympic gold medal in women’s soccer
After years near the top – reaching bronze in 2012 and 2016 – the Canadian women’s soccer team has won its long-awaited gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Canada beat Sweden on penalties.
This first Olympic gold medal for the women’s team made Christine Sinclair, Sophie Schmidt and Desiree Scott three-time Olympic medalists.
2. Canada wins the 2000 Men’s Gold Cup
It is no secret that Canada has faced many FIFA World Cup disappointment. The years leading up to the 2000 Gold Cup were no different, with the men’s team missing action three years in a row, losing to rivals like the United States and Costa Rica.
The team entered the 2000 Gold Cup as underdogs with a less than stellar record behind them. But they quickly stunned the world with a series of unexpected victories. In the group stage, they came out with a draw against Costa Rica and South Korea. That luck quickly turned in the quarter-finals when they beat Mexico with a superb goal from Richard Hastings. The semi-finals saw another victory against Trinidad.
They entered the final as total underdogs – taking on mighty Colombia. But they eventually succeeded with decisive goals from Jason de Vos and Carlo Corazzin, leading them to a 2-0 victory and the country’s only Gold Cup title.
3. Christine Sinclair wins the title of all-time leading international goalscorer
Sinclair made her senior Canadian debut in 2000. Since then, she has become a soccer powerhouse, leading Team Canada to heights the program has never seen before. She’s had incredible goal tallies over the years, score 190 times in 315 games.
In 2020, these goals helped her break a world record. Her 185th goal in an Olympic qualifier against St. Kitts and Nevis made her the all time top scorer on the world stage — male or female — in the history of soccer. Not only was it a personal victory for Sinclair, but it also reversed the status of USA players Abby Wambach and Mia Hamm, breaking more than two decades of USA Women’s Team dominance.
4. Canada takes the FIFA U-19 Women’s World Championship by storm in 2002
The 2002 U-19 Women’s World Championship proved to be a turning point for soccer in Canada. The women’s team have taken the championships by storm, scoring impressive victories against strong teams from England, Japan and Brazil. Although the team lost to the United States in the final, this tournament proved to the world that the Canadian women’s team was a force to be reckoned with.
In front of a crowd of over 47,000 In the final, the team’s breakthrough performance made it clear that there was more than enough demand for women’s international soccer in Canada. It also shaped the careers of the players who would lead the women’s program to incredible success over the next decade, including Sinclair, Kara Lang, Candace Chapman, Brittany Timko and many more.
The true meaning of this game would not be fully understood until years later, when its success paved the way for Canada to host the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup and the creation of Toronto FC.
5. Canada’s women’s team wins bronze at the 2012 Olympics
After a drought for Canadian team sports at the Summer Olympics, the women’s soccer team won a bronze medal at the 2012 Olympics.
The dramatic match saw Canada clinch the bronze medal in a 1-0 win over France seconds before the game went into extra time. Although they lost in the semi-finals to the United States, this victory proved that the Canadian women’s team would not remain neglected for long.
6. Canada secures a spot at the 2022 World Cup
On March 27, 2022, Canada made history. After 36 years away from the World Cup scene, Canada’s National Men’s Team has officially qualified for world cup 2022.
On their home turf in front of a record crowd, the men’s team secured a decisive 4-0 win over Jamaica in a final round of World Cup qualifying. This victory, which gave them access to Qatar, represents what many supporters call the rise of Canadian soccer. It’s only the second time the men’s team has qualified for the World Cup, but expectations are high and morale is even higher.
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