TFC, CF Montreal to play in Canadian Championship 1st round

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Toronto FC and CF Montreal, who have combined to win 13 of the 17 previous tournaments, will square off in the first round of the expanded 15-team Telus Canadian Championship in 2025.

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The all-MLS showdown will take place at BMO Field, some time in April or May, with one of the cup’s biggest names exiting at the first hurdle.

The 2025 tournament features its biggest field with 15 teams, boosted by the addition of semi-pro League1 Alberta and its inaugural champion Edmonton Scottish United FC. The last team standing hoists the Voyageurs Cup and advances to the CONCACAF Champions Cup, the region’s elite men’s club competition.

Thursday’s draw produced a slew of provincial matchups with CPL champion Cavalry FC facing Edmonton Scottish, Pacific FC meeting Vancouver FC and Atletico Ottawa taking on League1 Ontario champion Scrosoppi FC, a Milton-based side making its tournament debut.

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The other first-round games are Forge FC versus Halifax Wanderers FC, Valour FC versus League1 B.C. champion TSS Rovers, and York United FC versus Ligue1 Quebec’s FC Laval.

The defending champion Vancouver Whitecaps received a bye into the quarterfinals. The Whitecaps have won the last three editions of the tournament — and lifted the trophy four times in total with seven runner-up finishes.

The Whitecaps will await the winner between Valour and TSS Rovers, who meet in a repeat of their 2023 first-round encounter won 3-1 by the semi-pro B.C. side.

The Toronto-Montreal winner will move on to play either Forge or Halifax in the quarterfinals while the Pacific-Vancouver winner will meet either Cavalry or Edmonton Scottish.

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The first round is in the form of single-elimination knockout games with the quarterfinals and semifinals two-legged affairs. The championship game reverts to a one-off meeting.

A secondary draw will be held later to determine the semifinal matchups and pathway to hosting the final.

Toronto has won the cup eight times, most recently in 2020, and finished runner-up six times. Montreal has made eight finals, winning five (most recently in 2021).

The 2024 tournament saw semi-pro CS Saint-Laurent defeat Halifax and Forge oust CF Montreal. The Whitecaps downed Toronto in a penalty shootout after the final finished knotted at 0-0.

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