2024 Canadian Championship: Schedule, teams, how to watch, format & history

The 2024 Canadian Championship - Canada's domestic soccer tournament - starts on April 23, with the 14-team tournament running through until late September.

The annual tournament, first played in 2008, features Canada's three MLS sides - Toronto FC, Vancouver Whitecaps, and CF Montreal - as well as all eight teams from the Canadian Premier League and three semi-professional clubs, all of which have a chance to win the Voyageurs Cup. 

Last year's quarterfinalists, TSS FC Rovers, return after fellow League1 British Columbia side FC Victoria Highlanders' withdrawal and are joined by debutants CS Saint-Laurent and Simcoe County Rovers, who embark on their maiden campaigns.

Vancouver Whitecaps are the defending champions and have a bye through the first round alongside the team they beat 2-1 in last year's final, CF Montreal.

Fellow MLS team Toronto FC go straight into the Preliminary Round and will be looking to win a record-extending ninth Canadian Championship in what is the tournament's 17th edition.

The tournament was first held in 2008 and provides a qualification route into the Concacaf Champions Cup and potentially the FIFA Club World Cup.

2024 Canadian Championship schedule

• Premlinary round - 23 April - 2 May
• Quarterfinals - Leg 1 - May TBC, Leg 2 - May TBC
• Semifinals - Leg 1 - 9-10 July, Leg 2 - 27-28 August
• Final - 24 or 25 September

The tournament begins with the Preliminary Round featuring 12 teams and those one-off ties take place from April 23 through May 2. 

The draw was made at Canada Soccer House in Ottawa on Friday, February 23, and produced the following fixtures:

• Cavalry FC vs. Vancouver FC - the winner meets Vancouver Whitecaps
• Atletico Ottawa vs. Valour FC
• Pacific FC vs. TSS FC Rovers
• Forge FC vs. York United FC - the winner meets CF Montreal
• HFX Wanderers vs. CS Saint-Laurent
• Toronto FC vs. Simcoe County Rovers 

MLS sides Vancouver Whitecaps and CF Montreal will join the tournament at the quarterfinal stage and those games will be played over a home-and-away series in May.

The semifinals are also decided over two matches, with the first legs on July 9-10 and reverse fixtures on August 27-28.

The final is scheduled to be played on either Tuesday, September 24 or Wednesday, September 25.

How to watch 2024 Canadian Championship, streaming

Fans can watch all of the action on OneSoccer, which is Canada's soccer streaming service.

2024 Canadian Championship format

The Canadian Championship includes four rounds and starts with a 12-team Preliminary Round, featuring all sides bar last year's finalists, Vancouver Whitecaps and CF Montreal.

Hosting privileges up to the semifinals are determined on a three-year Canadian Championship ranking index and a second draw will take place after the quarterfinals.

While the opening round will feature single-match knockout, the quarters and semis will be decided over a home-and-away series. 

Overall, the annual 'Battle of the North' will consist of 19 matches, the last of which will be the one-off final to decide who lifts the Voyageurs Cup.

Canadian Championship past winners

Year	Winner
2008	Montreal Impact
2009	Toronto FC
2010	Toronto FC
2011	Toronto FC
2012	Toronto FC
2013	Montreal Impact
2014	Montreal Impact
2015	Vancouver Whitecaps
2016	Toronto FC
2017	Toronto FC
2018	Toronto FC
2019	Montreal Impact
2020	Toronto FC
2021	CF Montreal
2022	Vancouver Whitecaps
2023	Vancouver Whitecaps