Canada has always been the underdog when it comes to sports… or not? You probably haven’t heard much about how “good” Canada is at sports, but after this article you (Canadians) will know everything that there is to sports in this maple leaf country. There will be five sections in this article: Soccer, basketball, football, ice hockey, and lacrosse.
Soccer
Canada has participated in many leagues and world-wide tournaments. The Canadian Premier League (CPL) is a Canadian league with eight teams. Although it is the highest level of professional men’s soccer (domestic) in all of Canada, it is not well-known. The Canada Men’s National Soccer Team in the World Cup has never raised the trophy, but has many famous players including Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich) and Jonathan David (Juventus). At only 26 years old, Jonathan David is Team Canada’s all time scorer, with 37 goals as of 2025! He is a future star, just waiting to be drafted to an amazing club. You have probably heard of Cristiano Ronaldo, best soccer player in the world, but did you know that Canadian women’s soccer legend Christine Sinclair has more international goals with 190 compared to Ronaldo’s 143! She is the world’s all time international scorer, male or female. Some exciting news in Canada is that North America is hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup! It is awesome news, and if you are lucky, you can buy World Cup tickets.
Basketball
Have you ever heard about basketball in Canada… or even Vancouver? The only team participating in the NBA (National Basketball Association) is the Toronto Raptors. Scottie Barnes is a very famous basketball player who currently (as of 2026) plays for the Toronto Raptors. Scottie Barnes also tied the all time Toronto Raptors record with 25 rebounds in a single game. With 23 points, 25 rebounds, 3 steals, and a block, he delivered one of the most dominant stat lines. In 1995, a team in Canada was established called the Vancouver Grizzlies. In the 2000-2001 season, the team relocated to Memphis, Tennessee. The team is now called the Memphis Grizzlies. One only Canadian basketball league in Canada is called the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL). There are ten teams in the CEBL. You may not know this, but basketball, one of the most popular sports in the world, was invented in Canada? Someone named James Naismith invented it in 1891. The U.S’s most popular sport is actually controlled by Canada!
Football
You probably know about the NFL, but do you know about the CFL? The Canadian Football League or the CFL is a Canadian league for “American” football. The team based in Vancouver is called the BC Lions. You can see the Lions at BC Place, and the atmosphere and view in the stadium is breathtaking. The Saskatchewan Roughriders have won the Grey Cup 5 times, their most recent in 2025. The BC Lions have been champions 6 times. One star player in the CFL is Nathan Rourke, who plays for the BC Lions. Nathan had the highest pass completion during the 2022 season, completing 78.7% of passes. In 2025, he shattered the long-standing record for passing yards by a Canadian in a single season, throwing 5,290 yards. He shattered the previous mark of 3,641 yards held by Russ Jackson in 1969.
Hockey
One of the most popular winter sports in Canada and maybe the world is ice hockey. Canada has a few teams in the NHL (National Hockey League), including the Vancouver Canucks, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Winnipeg Jets, Edmonton Oilers, Ottawa Senators, and the Calgary Flames. With seven Canadian hockey teams in the NHL, the Canadian teams have won the Stanley Cup 24 times in total. American teams have won it 31 times, but with 25 American teams. That is more than triple the amount of teams in Canada. A slightly less famous league is the CHL (Canadian Hockey League). Consisting of 61 teams (52 Canadian and 9 American), the CHL is the largest development hockey league in the entire world! Canada, being the most dominant team in all of hockey in the world, featuring great stars like Makar, McDavid, and Crosby, Canada is a powerhouse. Sadly, the last hockey game of the olympics- the gold medal game, Canada vs. USA. The U.S. received gold medals and the win in overtime after an outstanding performance by Jack Hughes on Team USA, and Connor McDavid on Team Canada. Scored in overtime, after tension between both sides and great saves and shots by both teams, the U.S. won the game 2-1, breaking millions of hearts in Canada.
Lacrosse
A popular summer sport in Canada is Lacrosse. Lacrosse is a fast paced sport where players use long-handled sticks with netted pockets to catch, carry, and pass a rubber ball, aiming to shoot it into the opponent’s goal. Each side consists of 9 players and a goaltender. The CLL (Canadian Lacrosse League) is a popular Lacrosse league in Canada. Consisting of eight teams, the CLL is a small league, but it has some spectacular players. Lacrosse fields are roughly 110 yards long by 60 yards wide, with 2 triangular/pyramid-like shaped nets.
To conclude, sports are growing, bit by bit in Canada, and soon enough Canada will be one of the most athletic countries in the world, and you will know about it!
