The club that produces Canada’s soccer stars has doubts over its future

TSN’s James Duthie discusses how Canada’s historic run at the FIFA World Cup this year could pave the way for a new era of soccer talent in the country.

TORONTO -- The city of Brampton in Ontario produced key members of the Canadian men’s national World Cup soccer squad. But the loss of a storied local club’s provincial licence about a year before Canada hosted the World Cup, confirmed to Reuters by current and former club members, has raised concerns about its future — and that of Canadian soccer.

The Brampton Soccer Club was once home to players including former captain Atiba Hutchinson and current players Cyle Larin, Jonathan Osorio, and Tajon Buchanan, among others.

But last year it lost its Ontario Player Development League licence (OPDL), which some in the local soccer world say is blocking the traditional pipeline to the national team.

That could stymie soccer, a nascent sport in a country better known for ice hockey, right as it is on the cusp of transformation, with local players having a shot at the elite European leagues, they say.

“So here is the thing, you have the town producing the best soccer talent in the country, and on the other hand, you have its soccer club that can’t even get its administrative act together,” said Chrys Chrysanthou, a former Brampton resident and former coach of Canadian midfielder Buchanan.

Amal Chauhan, CEO of the rival Burlington Soccer Club, said the pathway for talent in Brampton to reach the provincial and national level was broken and local players have been searching for other clubs to join. Brampton Soccer Club’s failure to keep its OPDL licence will prevent local players from competing at the provincial level, which later helps them grab a spot on the national team, Chauhan said.

Paula Phillips, executive director of the Brampton Soccer Club, told Reuters the club is not required to have an OPDL licence, citing the cost and a preference to focus on providing programs for a larger number of players rather than catering to a small number of elite players.

Shout-out to Brampton

The Canadian soccer team, though now eliminated, has enjoyed its best World Cup performance ever, making the round of 16 as Canada cohosted the tournament with the United States and Mexico.

Prime Minister Mark Carney gave a shout-out to Brampton in an emotional locker room chat in Vancouver where he praised the team’s character after Canada beat Qatar 6-0. He promised federal funding for local soccer facilities.

Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown told Reuters that he was not aware of issues with respect to Brampton Soccer Club. He said the city offers 191 outdoor soccer fields, three year-round indoor turf fields, four seasonal indoor turf fields, and the Atiba Hutchinson Soccer Court, Canada’s first fully lit boxed soccer court.

“In 2025 alone, the City recorded more than 34,000 hours of soccer field bookings, demonstrating the strong community interest in the sport and the ongoing need for high-quality soccer infrastructure,” Brown said.

The city offered a variety of clubs in addition to Brampton “that contribute to a vibrant and competitive soccer landscape,” he added.

Reporting by Divya Rajagopal in Toronto, Editing by Caroline Stauffer and Rosalba O’Brien, Reuters