With less than two years to go until the start of the newly expanded FIFA World Cup 26™, tournament co-hosts Canada have been busy putting the spotlight on youth development in the country in its inaugural Player Development Program (PDP) Championship. Supported by FIFA Forward funding, the PDP is the first major milestone in the Canadian Soccer Association’s (CSA) strategic plan to bolster the local football ecosystem in Canada by revamping national youth competitions, introducing the PDP, and implementing various measures to enhance player development, safety, and grassroots participation in football. Some 504 players from 28 high-level amateur youth football clubs, representing four of Canada’s 13 provincial football associations - the Alberta Youth Soccer League, the BC Soccer Premier League, the Ontario Player Development League and the Première Ligue de Soccer Juvénile du Québec – were involved as U-15 and U-17 boys and girls teams took to the field during the six-day event at the Bill Gilhespy Soccer Complex in Edmonton, Alberta.

Fifty games were played across the four categories, culminating in four championship matches. Ottawa South United (boys) and CS St-Hubert (girls) won their respective U-15 finals, while CS Saint-Laurent (boys) and Calgary Foothills (girls) took gold at U-17s level.

“These players are bringing a lot of energy and passion and you can tell they’re enjoying this competitive environment,” said Canada Men’s National Team head coach, Jesse Marsch. “Teams from different provinces are getting a chance to play against each other, with different styles of play. There’s been a lot of good quality organised teams, it’s been fun to watch and this is the type of competition that will help build the pipeline in our country.”

Tapping even further into the talent reserves, the maiden PDP included match analysis, player identification and scouting opportunities facilitated via the Canada Soccer EXCEL programme – which, like the PDP, is another of the Great White North’s soccer development initiatives, run by the CSA in partnership with the various provincial associations.

“We’re excited to have completed the inaugural PDP Championship, this competition is six years in the making,” enthused Canada Soccer's Interim Director of Development, Dave Nutt. “It provided the opportunity for players taking part in our PDP Network to showcase their skills against some of the best amateur youth clubs in the country. We thank Alberta Soccer for hosting and all the regional membership associations and clubs for their support.”

As well a parallel focus on player and team performance on the pitch, and education and network building off it, the tournament also provided budding match officials with invaluable experience. Eighteen Canada Soccer referees from the Elite Development Referee Program took part, with a further 20 appointed by Alberta Soccer and its Referee Development Committee. All had the benefit of daily educational sessions led by Canada Soccer instructors, devised to expose the next generation of match officials to the latest technologies, standards and practices. “A combination of Canada Soccer’s Elite Development Referees and Alberta Soccer’s top young prospects teamed together for this highly competitive competition meant to create an ideal environment to challenge them to raise their levels to meet the expectations of the Championship,” explained Isaac Raymond, Canada Soccer Referee Department Manager. “The PDP Championship offered these referees the opportunity to develop their officiating skills during a youth amateur competition that’s meant to revolutionise all aspects of soccer in Canada from grassroots to officiating to coaching.”

The PDP’s introduction is part of a wider, multi-year plan to elevate youth football in Canada, fostering development and growth as it prepares to co-host FIFA World Cup 26 along with regional neighbours Mexico and the United States. Having already supported the foundation of the Canadian Premier League since 2019, as well as investment into officiating, and support for competitions during the last two World Cup cycles, FIFA Forward funding is integral to the long-term success of the project.

“Canada has been an enthusiastic and active participant in the FIFA Forward programme, with a clear, targeted approach to development that will help the country create more opportunities to play soccer at all levels of the game,” commented José Rodriguez, Lead, Regional Office Panama. “There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to development, and so FIFA Forward funding takes different forms based on the needs of the member associations. In this respect, Canada Soccer has been particularly focused on establishing a professional pathway for its players, giving more opportunities to play soccer at a high level in the country, and strengthen its local associations as well as the youth soccer ecosystems that they manage.”