The Northern Super League (NSL), Canada’s professional women’s soccer league, has officially released its 2026 season schedule, setting the stage for an exciting second campaign of top-flight domestic competition across the country.
The announcement confirms that the 2026 regular season will begin on Friday, April 24, a rematch of the **inaugural NSL Final— Vancouver Rise FC vs AFC Toronto — kicking off at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby, British Columbia.
Season opener: Vancouver Rise FC vs AFC Toronto, April 24 — a replay of last year’s championship matchup.
First two weeks: All six NSL teams will play home matches in Weeks 1 and 2, including:
• Halifax Tides hosting Ottawa Rapid FC at Wanderers Grounds
• Calgary Wild FC facing Montréal Roses FC
* Match format: Each club will play 25 regular season matches, facing every other team five times — the same structure used in the league’s inaugural 2025 campaign.
* Home advantage shift: In 2026, Montréal, Toronto, and Vancouver clubs will enjoy a slight home-game advantage compared with last season’s slate.
The NSL will again feature six teams representing key Canadian markets:
* Vancouver Rise FC
* AFC Toronto
* Calgary Wild FC
* Halifax Tides FC
* Montréal Roses FC
* Ottawa Rapid FC
Vancouver Rise FC enters the season as reigning NSL champions after lifting the Diana B. Matheson Cup in the league’s first year.
The schedule release comes as anticipation builds for another milestone season of women’s professional soccer in Canada. Fans can expect intense rivalries, robust competition and increased visibility for the league, which continues to grow alongside other major Canadian football events — including the 2026 FIFA World Cup on home soil.
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