Vancouver Whitecaps FC, two-time defending Canadian Champions, will play the winner of Cavalry FC and Vancouver FC to kick off their run in the 2024 TELUS Canadian Championship. Canada Soccer completed the official Preliminary Round draw on Friday.
The action is set to kick off this April, with 14 clubs competing across four rounds and 19 matches in the annual “Battle of the North”, competing for the right to be crowned Canadian Champion and raise the Voyageurs Cup.
Friday’s draw results established the Preliminary Round matchups as well as the pathway for all clubs through the Quarter-Final stage of the competition.
With the matchups now confirmed, Canada Soccer will work with the participating clubs to confirm the Preliminary Round schedule and kick-off times which will be announced shortly.
Preliminary Round (April 23 – May 1) | Single Knockout
Match 1: Cavalry FC v Vancouver FC
Match 2: Atlético Ottawa v Valour FC
Match 3: Pacific FC v Victoria Highlanders FC
Match 4: Forge FC v York United FC
Match 5: HFX Wanderers FC v CS St-Laurent
Match 6: Toronto FC v Simcoe County Rovers FC
For the Preliminary Round, the highest ranked club in the match-up, based on the 2024 TELUS Canadian Championship Club Ranking Index, will host the single match. For the Quarter-Final and Semi-Final rounds, both of which will be played as two-match home and away series, the lower-ranking club will host the first leg of the series, with the higher-ranking club hosting the second leg of the series.
Quarter-Final Round (May) | Two Match Home & Away Series
Series 1: Winner Match 1 v Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Series 2: Winner Match 2 v Winner Match 3*
Series 3: Winner Match 4 v CF Montréal
Series 4: Winner Match 5 v Winner Match 6*
*Note that the above match-up format does not reflect home/away positioning as this will be determined once the matchups are set and the higher ranked clubs are identified.
Semi-Final Round (1st Leg July 9-11 | 2nd Leg August 27-29) | Two Match Home & Away Series
Series 5: TBC
Series 6: TBC
Following the completion of the Quarter-Final stage, a secondary draw will determine both the Semi-Final matchups, as well as which Semi-Final series winner will go on to host the Final Match. The Ranking Index will not be used to determine the Host of the Final Match, allowing every club within the competition the chance to host.
Final (September 24-25) | Single Match
Championship Final: Winner Series 5 v Winner Series 6
About the TELUS Canadian Championship
Canada Soccer’s TELUS Canadian Championship, also known as the Battle of the North, is the nation’s highest men’s domestic competition featuring clubs from coast to coast across the country, notably professional teams in Major League Soccer and the Canadian Premier League as well as league winners in League1 BC, League1 Ontario and Ligue1 Québec. Winners of the 2024 TELUS Canadian Championship lift the Voyageurs Cup and qualify to the annual international competition, Concacaf Champions Cup. Winners of the Concacaf Champions Cup qualify for the FIFA Club World Cup.
