Canadian Women's Legends Reveal Plans For 8-Team Pro League

December 7 - Canadian national team legends Christine Sinclair (pictured) and Diana Matheson have announced plans to create a women's professional league in the country with a kick-off in April 2025.

The league will consist of eight teams, and the Vancouver Whitecaps of MLS and the Calgary Foothills Soccer Club have already committed to entering teams. In terms of sponsors, broadcaster CIBC and Air Canada are already on board.

Established independently of Canada Soccer, the league will still need to be sanctioned, with May 2024 being the target date for governing body approvals.

Canada is ranked fourth in the world and is the current Olympic champion. They were runners-up in the United States at the Concacaf W Championship earlier this summer in Mexico.

All of Canada's national team players ply their trade outside of the country and over 100 women are thought to play on teams around the world. One of the criteria for the club franchise in the new league is that each team has at least one national team player.

"We want to change the landscape of football in Canada," said Sinclair, the current Canadian captain who has played 319 times for his country and scored 190 goals.

"We believe it is important for women to build this league, and we are committed to developing something that is built differently, for women by women."

Sinclair plays for National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) club Portland Thorns in the United States.

“As a player who is still playing for the national team, I have waited my entire career for even the opportunity or the chance – or the choice – to play at home,” Sinclair said. . "I think as national team players that's all we ever wanted... That's why we're doing this," she added. "Inspiring the next generation of young Canadians, empowering young girls to achieve their dreams."

Matheson, who was capped 206 times for Canada and retired in 2021, and business partner Thomas Gilbert lead the league's roster under the Project 8 banner.

"It's time to change the narrative and inspire the next group. I believe kids need to see it to believe it's possible. With the launch of this league, they'll be able to go into their own backyard and watch their heroes play and dream of one day representing their hometown pro club and maybe representing Canada,” Matheson said.

The league structure will see owners pay a franchise fee of $1 million, with each ownership group needing $8-10 million to operate for the first five seasons. Clubs will own 80% of the league and Project 8 will own 20%.

Player salaries must match the minimum of $35,000 paid in the NWSL, with a maximum of $75,000. Clubs will have a salary cap but the ability to spend more on bringing in big-name stars - again like the American model.

“We can bring Canadians back to Canada and players [will] have the opportunity to monetize their brand,” said Matheson.

"Canada is so different from playing abroad - our players won a gold medal [at the 2021 Olympics] and a week later they were back with their clubs in Europe... They don't have the opportunity to sign with brands or earn sponsorship dollars, give speeches, host camps, all those things that can boost your personal brand. Bringing players back to Canada, they're going to have the opportunity to So we really want to leverage that with players as well.

In July, Canadian Soccer Business, the body that owns all the rights to Canada Soccer's national teams and the Canadian Premier League, announced a four-team women's interprovincial championship that was seen as the first step towards creation of a professional women's league in Canada.

The question now is whether those plans will be shelved and whether there will be support for Project 8 which seeks to establish a professional women's league in the country on what appears to be a faster timeline.

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