The Canadian women’s soccer team is set to compete against Brazil, South Korea, and Zambia in April as part of the FIFA Series, which has been expanded to include 48 men’s and women’s teams by 2026.
In 2024, a pilot project was conducted with 24 teams playing in five different locations across three continents. The upcoming 2026 edition will feature 36 men’s teams and 12 women’s teams, organized into 12 groups of four.
Ranked 10th globally, the Canadian team will be grouped with Brazil (ranked 6th), South Korea (ranked 21st), and Zambia (ranked 64th), with Brazil hosting the matches. This tournament will be Canada’s sole participation in the Series.
Coach Casey Stoney expressed enthusiasm about the challenge of facing three diverse opponents, emphasizing the value of such experiences in elevating the team’s performance and achieving their objectives.
Historically, the Canadian women hold an 11-11-10 record against Brazil, with notable victories in penalty shootouts. Against South Korea, Canada boasts a dominant record of 9 wins, 1 loss, and 1 draw, including a significant 5-1 victory in their previous encounter in Spain.
Notably, Canada has never faced Zambia in a competitive match. The FIFA Series aims to provide national teams with cross-confederation competition opportunities without burdening the international match calendar, fostering technical development and global engagement.
Apart from Canada, the Ivory Coast and Thailand will also host women’s groups in the Series. While the full competition schedule is yet to be finalized, games will be scheduled during international match windows in March and April.
On the men’s side, countries like Australia, Azerbaijan, Indonesia, and others will host groups, featuring teams that have qualified for the World Cup, such as Australia, Uzbekistan, Cabo Verde, Curacao, and New Zealand.
Canada will kick off its 2026 campaign at the SheBelieves Cup, facing Colombia, the U.S., and Argentina in March. The Canadian women ended 2025 on a challenging note, with a five-game losing streak and a goal drought lasting 454 minutes.