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Canadian Premier League to kickoff 2021 season on June 26 from Winnipeg

The league’s third season will begin in a single-site location with the hope of returning to play in front of fans later in the summer.

By Michael Singh
CPL: FC Edmonton at Valor FC
Valour FC and FC Edmonton first half play during a Canadian Premier League soccer match at Investors Group Field.
(Lauder/USA TODAY Sports)

TORONTO, Canada—The Canadian Premier League is back!

The league announced over the weekend that it will be kicking off its third season on Saturday, June 26, with all eight clubs convening in Winnipeg, Manitoba to open the campaign at a single site.

The start of the season is being dubbed ‘The Kickoff’ by the league and will run June 26 to July 24, with each team playing eight matches total at IG Field, the home of Valour FC. All 32 matches will be broadcast on OneSoccer.

“The health and safety of all Manitobans is our first priority, and public health has been working alongside the Canadian Premier League and the Valour Football Club to bring this event to Winnipeg in a safe manner and within the current public health orders,” said Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba’s Chief Provincial Public Health Officer in a press release.

“Guidelines are in place for team testing before travel, during the first seven days and weekly thereafter, and players will be cohorted with their teams and only interact with other teams during matches. Additionally, essential personnel will be limited and proactive screening, monitoring and tracking of participants will be documented to ensure the event is successful and safe.”

The full schedule for ‘The Kickoff’ in Winnipeg will be revealed on Wednesday, June 9. The single-site format is set to conclude on July 24, and the CPL will then re-evaluate the possibility of clubs returning to their home markets to complete the season in front of supporters at that point.

The CPL previously announced in mid-May that it remains committed to playing a full 28-game season in 2021, with the hope that clubs will be able to return home and play in front of fans following the conclusion of ‘The Kickoff’ for the first time since 2019.

We’ll keep you updated as more news rolls in about this start-of-the-year tournament. The league, meanwhile, also revealed that new kits for all eight clubs, produced by Macron, will be revealed on Monday, June 7 at 1 pm ET.

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