Canadian Premier League launches “Canada’s League. Canada’s Game.” campaign ahead of 2026 season

Canadian Premier League launches “Canada’s League. Canada’s Game.” campaign ahead of 2026 season

A new campaign staking a claim for soccer’s place in Canada — and the league at the centre of it

TORONTO — March 26, 2026 — The Canadian Premier League today launched “Canada’s League. Canada’s Game.”, a new brand campaign for the 2026 season built on the belief that soccer is the future of sport in Canada and that future is being built here at home.

“Canada’s League. Canada’s Game. is a bold statement, but it’s grounded in what’s already true,” said James Johnson, Group Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Soccer Media and Entertainment and Commissioner, Canadian Premier League.

“Soccer is the most widely played sport in this country, and it continues to grow. The CPL isn’t a league borrowed from somewhere else; it was built here in Canada. It helped make a moment like 2026 — when the world’s attention turns to Canada — possible, and it’s what will keep the game relevant here every week for generations to come. That’s what makes this Canada’s League, and Canada’s Game. It’s undeniable.”

For years, Canada produced players and followed the game, but didn’t fully own it. The Canadian Premier League changed that. Now, the game is played, developed and built at home.

That foundation continues to take shape in 2026. The 2026 season begins April 4, marking the League’s eighth campaign, and will include the addition of FC Supra du Québec, the CPL’s first club in the province of Québec, bringing it firmly coast to coast.

On the pitch, the League has established a clear identity. The game is fast, physical and demanding, played through conditions that don’t stop it. No ego, no entitlement. Players and clubs fight for respect and embrace the grind of proving themselves, earning everything they get. No opponent, setting or moment is too big. It’s inherently and unapologetically Canadian.

That identity is captured in the league’s 2026 brand film, “You Think You Know Soccer,” which challenges what people think they know about the game here. As Canada prepares to welcome the world for a major global soccer moment in 2026, the CPL has been building to this moment — and is just getting started.

The 2026 CPL Regular Season — the league’s eighth campaign — kicks off Saturday, April 4 and runs through Sunday, Oct. 25.

Media assets, including the “You Think You Know Soccer” brand film, are available here.

Full schedule details and team-by-team breakdowns are available at schedule.cplsoccer.com.

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About Canadian Premier League

The Canadian Premier League (CPL) is Canada’s Tier 1 domestic men’s professional soccer league, provides a national platform for Canadian players to compete at the highest level on home soil and gain exposure on the global stage, contributing to the long-term growth of Canadian soccer domestically and internationally. As part of Canadian Soccer Media & Entertainment’s league portfolio, which also includes Premier Soccer Leagues Canada (PSLC), the CPL brings high-quality professional soccer to communities from coast to coast and competes in Concacaf- and FIFA-sanctioned competitions.

For more information, please contact:

Katrin Ivanov

Manager, League Communications 

Canadian Premier League and Premier Soccer Leagues Canada

katrin.ivanov@cplsoccer.com

Laura Armstrong

Vice President, Communications and Business Integration

Canadian Soccer Media & Entertainment

laura.armstrong@cansme.ca

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Costa Smyrniotis

Costa Smyrniotis is a senior Canadian soccer executive with more than 20 years of experience across the professional, developmental, and commercial sides of the game in Canada and internationally. His career spans league governance, club operations, player representation, and academy leadership, giving him a comprehensive understanding of the soccer ecosystem.

As Executive Vice President of the Canadian Premier League, Smyrniotis oversees sporting and business operations across Canadian Soccer Media & Entertainment’s league portfolio, including the CPL and Premier Soccer Leagues Canada, the umbrella organization for Canada’s national pro-am competitions.

Previously, he served as Executive Vice President, Soccer, helping professionalize the league’s on-field product and strengthen its reputation in the global transfer market, increasing player movement and international recognition.

Prior to his league role, Smyrniotis spent five years as Director of Football and Business at Forge FC, building one of Canada’s most successful professional clubs. Earlier, he co-founded Sigma FC, built a leading player agency, and held senior business roles with multinational organizations.

Laura Armstrong

Laura Armstrong is Vice President, Communications & Business Integration at Canadian Soccer Media & Entertainment, where she leads strategic communications, public relations, and key stakeholder engagement across the company’s corporate functions, leagues, and media assets.

In this role, Laura works closely with executive leadership to align organizational strategy and priorities, supporting the delivery of the company’s long-term vision through coordinated planning and execution across teams.

Prior to joining CSME, Laura spent nearly a decade as a journalist with the Toronto Star, Canada’s largest daily newspaper, where she led the paper’s soccer coverage beginning in 2015. A leading voice in Canadian soccer — particularly in the women’s game — she covered major milestones including the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Toronto FC’s treble-winning 2017 season, and Canada’s men’s national team qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Laura regularly appeared across national and international broadcast platforms including OneSoccer, Sportsnet, CBC, CTV, the BBC and more

A bilingual native of Barrhaven, Ont., Laura holds a combined honours degree in Journalism and English Literature from the University of King’s College in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Dylan Hewko

Dylan Hewko is a finance executive with extensive experience in professional sports, specializing in financial strategy, governance, and organizational oversight. He currently serves as Senior Vice President, Finance, supporting the continued growth and financial stewardship of Canadian Soccer Media & Entertainment.

In this corporate leadership role, Dylan is responsible for financial planning, reporting, and governance, as well as people operations and organizational policies, supporting the company’s overall business objectives across its leagues and properties.

Prior to joining the Canadian Premier League in 2021, Dylan spent three years with New York City FC as Controller and held finance roles with the Toronto Blue Jays. He began his professional career at Deloitte Canada in the Assurance & Advisory practice, building a strong foundation in corporate accounting and financial management.

A graduate of Queen’s University, Dylan holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) and a Graduate Diploma in Accounting, and is a Chartered Professional Accountant (Canada) and Certified Public Accountant (USA). He has long been engaged in the intersection of sport and business, including through leadership roles with the Queen’s Sports Industry Conference.

Marni Dicker

Marni Dicker is a senior executive and governance leader with deep experience in corporate law, infrastructure development, and organizational leadership across complex public- and private-sector environments.

In her dual role as Chief Legal Officer and Executive Vice President, Infrastructure, Marni oversees legal strategy, corporate governance, risk management, and compliance, while also leading infrastructure planning and expansion strategy and execution for the Canadian Premier League.

Her career includes senior roles such as Chief Commercial Officer and General Counsel at Infrastructure Ontario, where she led legal and commercial oversight for major infrastructure and venue development projects, including facilities for the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games. She has also served as Executive Vice President at Live Work Learn Play Inc. and held board positions with organizations including CreateTO, Tarion, and Habitat for Humanity GTA.

A nationally recognized leader, Marni has been named one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women and one of the Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers. Her honours include the Canadian General Counsel Award for Business Achievement and induction into the Urban Land Institute’s Hall of Champions. She lectures at Toronto Metropolitan University’s Faculty of Law and holds degrees from Western and McGill, along with the ICD.D designation. Marni is a proud wife and mother of two.

Shaun Guest

Shaun Guest is a senior sports business executive with more than a decade of experience driving commercial growth through sponsorships, partnerships, and revenue strategy. He currently serves as Vice President, Commercial Operations, working within the commercial leadership team to support partner growth across Canadian Soccer Media & Entertainment and its properties.

In his role, Shaun leads corporate partnerships and sponsorship initiatives, while also overseeing ticketing, and licensing operations. He works closely with internal teams and external partners to deliver integrated commercial programs that support long-term business objectives.

Prior to joining CSME, Shaun served as Vice President, Business Operations for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Forge FC, where he played a key role in Forge FC’s launch and oversaw corporate partnerships, ticket sales, community engagement, and marketing initiatives.

Earlier in his career, Shaun held roles with the 2007 Grey Cup Festival and the Toronto Rock, building a strong foundation in ticket sales, sponsorship development and revenue generation across multiple sports and event platforms. He is a graduate of Brock University’s Sport Management program and holds a Master’s degree in Sport & Leisure Commerce from the University of Memphis.

Michael Beckerman

Michael Beckerman is a seasoned marketing and business leader with more than two decades of global experience across sports, media, and consumer brands. He brings a strategic, partner-first approach to growing audiences, brands, and commercial impact within the soccer ecosystem.

Beckerman’s career spans three continents and includes senior leadership roles as Director of Advertising for Nike Europe, Vice President of Marketing at Canadian Airlines, Chief Marketing Officer at the Bank of Montreal, and CEO of sponsorship agency MKTG Canada. He also led Ariad Communications, an award-winning marketing and digital agency, and most recently served as Chief Client Officer at Torstar Corporation.

A recognized voice in sponsorship and brand strategy, Beckerman is a frequent speaker on marketing trends, consumer engagement, and the evolving business of sport.

At CSME, Mike leads partner strategy, helping organizations — including Canada Soccer, the Canadian Premier League, Premier Soccer Leagues Canada, OneSoccer, and other media and properties — connect meaningfully with fans to achieve their business objectives while advancing the growth of soccer in Canada.

James Johnson 

James Johnson is a globally recognized sport and entertainment executive with more than two decades of leadership experience across North America, Europe, Australia and Asia. He was appointed Group CEO of Canadian Soccer Media & Entertainment (CSME) and Commissioner of the Canadian Premier League in July 2025 to accelerate the growth and transformation of Canadian soccer ahead of the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup.

Johnson previously served as CEO of Football Australia, leading a period of transformation marked by record commercial growth, strong national team performance, increased participation, and the successful hosting of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The tournament delivered a lasting legacy, unlocking $389 million in government investment to support the sport’s growth in Australia. He also secured record broadcast agreements with Paramount+, Disney+, and Fox Sports.

His career includes senior executive roles with FIFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and City Football Group, where he built a reputation as a commercially driven, innovative leader advancing sport on and off the pitch.

Johnson leads the group’s overall strategic direction, aligning commercial growth, media innovation, and sporting performance to strengthen the business of Canadian soccer. He serves on the board of OneSoccer.